Look And See
by Bri-C123
Summary: She has a past that haunts her everyday. He has a blood lust that is tamed by his job. Love lust and pain. That is all they would feel once they are brought together by an unfair thing called Fate.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This story just crossed my mind before I slept so I got out of bed and started writing. I'll try to update this story every week when I can. Although I can make no promises.

**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own Rurouni Kenshin nor the characters. I only own the plot and crazy imagination put into it.

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><p><em><strong>Look And See<strong>_

**by Bri-C123**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

She was hiding in the basement. She didn't know why. It was late at night and she was supposed to be asleep. It was already so dark down there during the day. It was pitch black at night. She sat at the corner, near the old wooden doors that led outside. She began rocking back and forth. There was something wrong. But the little girl didn't know what it was so she stayed. Her parents always said that if something was wrong, she was supposed to run and hide. She was hiding.

From what? From her dreams? Or maybe from that sickening feeling in her stomach that told her she had to be scared. The feeling didn't go away for the whole night. There was no sound that reached her ears. Only the pounding of her heart. Her steps were light as she walked up the stairs. She went to her parents' room first. Her hand touch the door and she knew. She knew that she was going to be scared of this. But her father raised her to face her fears. With a shaking hand, she opened the door.

Red. There was red everywhere. The once white walls were now red. The furniture was red. Even the floor.

Then there was her parents. She didn't see their face. Only their eyes. They burned into her head, forging themselves into her memory. It was not the eyes that said they loved her, it was the eyes that said they would never see again. The world tilted and she stumbled back. They eyes seemed to follow her every move and yet see nothing at all. Her feet took her out the door and into the open. Her neighbors were outside with their usual morning routines. She simply ran to the sidewalk. She turned back to look at the house. The eyes are still burning her. How can they do that?

The world went black as the little girl fainted.

**AN:** So how was it? A good first chapter? Please forgive any mistakes. I do not usually have people reading what I write until after I publish it so I don't have editors. If you find any problem that bothers you, feel free to tell me.

A review would be nice since this is only my third story on this site. Please and Thank you for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

I have a trip next week so I wanted to update this story as much as I can before I go. And it seemed like a good time to type this while I was on a sugar high and couldn't sleep.

**DISCLAIMER**: I own not Rurouni Kenshin. Nor the characters. I own only the plot in this story.

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><p>Kamiya Kaoru hated red. She doesn't remember why. It had to be because of those nightmares she never remembered. She had grown used to sleeping four hours a night because of them. She took pills in the morning. Her doctor prescribed them all the time. She never explained why. Only that it would help her through the day. That Megumi will have to explain one day, when she isn't too tired to ask.<p>

Kaoru sighed and sipped at her tea. Today she was supposed to be at a meeting with Saito. He was the worst boss she ever had but he never did anything without reason. She only hated him for his irritating behavior. Kaoru had to wonder how Tokio could stand the man, let alone marry him.

She checked her watch again. Saito had cancelled their meeting so Kaoru could not say no to Megumi for a quick check up and lunch. She was sitting in the waiting room for twenty minutes now. She began to tap her foot in impatience. "Quit tapping. I'm here already. Come." Kaoru glared and followed the doctor. "Any symptoms lately?" she asked before the girl even sat.

"No. Its all been the same for the last five years. Nothing has changed. And I doubt it will anytime soon."

"Its my job to check everyday. It is also my job to annoy you with my questions every time you come so deal with it." Kaoru snarled but said nothing. "Any sickness? Minor cold or fever?"

"No."

"Love life?"

"Megumi."

"I was simply asking. Wait, you never even lost your virginity yet."

"Aren't you supposed to be my doctor right now?"

"Which is why I'm asking you about your non-existent love life. It is protocol."

"Liar."

"Answer the question and we can go to lunch."

"No" Kaoru growled.

"Good. Now we can both leave and eat." She took the white coat off and grabbed her purse. "We will be having a few more people with us."

There was silence as the two left the office. Once in Megumi's car, Kaoru spoke in a low voice. "You know how I feel about unexpected company."

"One of them is my boyfriend."

"Oh so I finally get to meet the rooster head you've been talking about?"

"Put your seat belt on before I decide to get you in an accident where you will be the one that dies." Kaoru grumbled but put her seat belt on anyway. "We also have some friends of mine from another town visiting."

"Oh so the kitsune has friends."

"What do you call yourself than?"

"A patient with privileges."

"…Idiot raccoon." Kaoru sat in a content silence when Megumi could not counter her words. They arrived at the restaurant quickly. Megumi had easily slid into a space at the front and walked out of the car. Kaoru followed her inside the restaurant.

"Can I help you?" A woman walked to the front with a girl by her side. "Oh Megumi-san. Its so nice to see you again. Sano and everyone is at the back."

"Thank you Tae." Kaoru followed the kitsune. Suddenly feeling like she shouldn't go, she paused.

"Megumi…"

The woman turned around. Noticing the look on Kaoru's face, she stopped too. "What is it? Is it a side effect of the prescription? Or-"

"No. I just…" She struggled to put it into words. "I feel like I shouldn't be here."

Megumi sighed and smacked the girl's arm. "Don't make me worry like that. I'm supposed to be on my lunch break." Kaoru scowled but still followed Megumi. At a table, Megumi stopped and waved to everyone. "Guys, this is Kaoru. My…" She looked at Kaoru. "Patient with privileges."

Kaoru rolled her eyes and bowed. "Its nice to meet you." She stood up again and took in the table. There were three other people there. Megumi sat next to the one who she assumed was the rooster head. His hair did seem to have a weird way of defying gravity. She sat next to Megumi and noticed the extra chair next to her.

"This is Sano." Megumi started the introductions.

"Yo Jou-chan." Kaoru's lips twitched but she only nodded her head.

"That is-"

"I'm Misao~" The girl looked no older that a college freshman. Her long hair was kept in a braid and she seemed to give out unrestrained energy. Like she was on a sugar high. "This wonderful man next to me is Aoshi-sama~" She cut a dangerous look at Kaoru. "He's my boyfriend." Then she returned to her cheerful self. "Its so nice to meet you Kaoru-chan."

Kaoru raised a brow but nodded again at the couple. "Where's Kenshin?" Megumi asked.

"He's coming" Aoshi said. "One minute."

Sure enough, one minute later, people were looking over her shoulder in recognition. Kaoru only looked at her hands on her lap. She felt so out of place here. "Sorry I'm late" someone with a deep voice said. "And this is…?"

Megumi aimed an elbow at her stomach. Kaoru stopped it with her hand. "This" Megumi said icily. "Is Kaoru."

Kaoru looked up and only saw red.

Red. She hated red. Her hands clenched into tight fists and she wished she had taken a bag with her pills. She was never supposed to take it more than once a day but she felt like she needed it right now. She realized she was staring at him for a second longer than polite and looked down at her hands again. "Pleasure" she said neutrally. He sat next to her and she cursed in her head.

"I'm Kenshin" he said in the same tone. She nodded in acknowledgment and opened her menu. Things are going to get difficult. More so than she would like on a day like this.

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><p>Yay I'm done with Chapter two. Honestly this is the fastest I've ever updated a chapter. *feels ashamed* I shall try my hardest to update more.<p>

**Kokoronagomu:** I hope this story doesn't scare you away! And I also hope for a happy ending because sad endings make me cry and lose sleep. But we will never know until the end! Thank you for your reviews, I always feel happy when I see you have reviewed yet another chapter of my embarrassing stories!

I hope everyone enjoyed this and will be willing to send a review my way, even if its just a word. Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN**: So its been a while but I'm finally back from my vacation! School sucks mainly because I'm set for a different time zone. But all's good. So here is a nice update for my readers!

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Kenshin, or Battousai, or Kaoru...or any other characters relating to Rurouni Kenshin.

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><p>Misao had managed to keep the conversation going. Sano would join in and Megumi just down right ignored Kaoru. Kaoru picked at her food and did not dare look in Kenshin's direction. Instead she opted for thinking bad things in her head as if it would make the situation better. She imagined hitting him with a bokkon. It made her smile a little. It was a very entertaining thought. She pictured it for a few moments before putting down her chopsticks and continue her silent treatment.<p>

"Hey tanuki." Kaoru gritted her teeth and pointedly ignored whoever said that. Megumi must have started passing that 'nickname' around. "Megumi is coming with me today. So you can go find another way to get back to your place."

Her head flashed up and met Megumi's eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would. You don't have to take public transportation. Kenshin is right next to you."

Kaoru snarled and narrowed her eyes. "Kitsune. You know my situation very well."

"And as your doctor I am saying you need to over come it." The two glared at each other in a silent challenge. Finally, Kaoru stood up and walked out. Megumi turned to Kenshin. "You need to get her or she will pass out when she takes public transportation. That or she will be mugged in the street when she gets lost." He raised a brow but stood up anyway and left. The kitsune turned to the rest of the table with an evil grin. "And my work here is done."

Kaoru had just walked to the bus stop when a hand pulled on her wrist. Her instinct was to aim a punch to the owner's face. Her other hand was stopped and she saw the red. Her eyes narrowed. What was he doing here? "I have nothing to do with you so let me go."

"No." She glared and turned away. "I was told to take you home."

"So you always do as you're told?" she said sarcastically.

"I know when to listen and when not to listen."

"So listen to me and let go of me. I don't even know you."

"And yet you are treating me like I have a problem."

"I don't need to be kind to all strangers I meet."

"Nor do I allow myself to be treated like crap by someone I just met."

"I need to go home now." The bus was approaching. "Oh look, the bus. Now kindly let go of me and I will be on my merry way where we will never see each other again."

"Stubborn" he muttered. Then he dragged her away. She yelled and drew lots of attention but he ignored her.

"Kenshin you IDIOT!" She struggled some more. "Let go of me baka!"

He let go of her and she stood up to straighten her clothes. He opened the door and pushed her inside. "Put on your seat belt." Then he closed the door. She could only stare dumbfounded while he got into the car. The revving of the engine woke her up. She turned to open the door, only to find it locked. "Put on your seat belt unless you would like me to put it on for you." She cursed but did as he said. "What's your address?" She was silent. "The longer you take the longer you'll be stuck in here with me." She told him her address and he grinned in triumph.

The ride was silent Kaoru made sure to look out the window to avoid the red. When he stopped in front of her apartment building, she tried to open the door again but he kept it locked. "What do you want from me?" she snarled.

"A thank you would be nice."

"Thank you. Now please let out of this damn car." He unlocked it and watched as she bolted out of the car. Just before she closed the door, she turned and looked at the floor. "Thank you Kenshin." Then she slammed the door closed and ran to her building. He was staring after her in surprise. He actually hadn't expected her to say thank you for real. But it seemed that she was full of surprises. He smirked when he realized she didn't even look him in the eye as she thanked him. She is an interesting one indeed. He drove away while making plans in his head. He would need to convince Megumi to make another lunch date in the very near future.

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><p>Please review~ I don't have anyone editing this for me so if you catch any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me~<p>

Until next time!~


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Hello, hello. I'm sorry I took so long to upload this. School has been crazy and family has been crazier but here is an update for this week. Enjoy~

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters. I own myself and my thoughts, both of which were used in creating this story. *Laughs like a crazy witch*

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><p>Kaoru was at the gym again The situation with Kenshin was annoying so she decided some weight lifting would do her some good before she murdered him. He was definitely someone she didn't want to see again. When the weights weren't doing her any good, she stopped and headed for the elevator. She took it to the top floor, where the dojo was. Her favorite wooden bokkon was still by the wall where she left it. No one was here yet. Perfect. She could practice alone and not worry about accidentally killing someone while she thought of Kenshin.<p>

His name haunted her. And she hated it. All she has been thinking about all day was him and it was getting annoying. She took a deep breath and began her training. Her mind was cleared for a few minutes. She enjoyed working herself into a sweat like this. It was refreshing.

Her shirt now clung to her body. Kaoru was finishing the last set of her training and finally stopped. Her breathing was labored and her body was aching from the weights. It was late now so it would be best to go home now. Her bokkon went back to its original place and she left. There was almost no one left in the gym now. It was dark outside and the gym was going to close soon. Which meant a quiet walk home. She sighed.

Her dad would surely scold her if he was still alive. He had always been so protective of her ever since her mother died. Her father raised her himself for eight years before he himself was joined the woman he loved. Kaoru stepped into the dark apartment. "I'm home" she said.

"What took you so long?" a voice asked.

Not really expecting an answer she spun towards the voice and held her fists up in a defensive position. "Misao?"

"Megumi gave me the keys to your place. Its nice."

"What are you doing here?" Kaoru asked slowly.

"Oh…I was just around." Misao smiled brightly. "Besides, I need a place to crash. Do you think you can lend me that guest bedroom you have?"

And that is how Kaoru ended up muffling her scream into a pillow. Megumi was setting this whole thing up, that devious kitsune. There was something going on and Kaoru was sure it had to do with something called her "non-existent love life."

Misao had promised that Aoshi was staying in another place. There was not enough room for them both so they had to separate. Not that Misao had minded. That active girl seemed to think that separating would make her Aoshi want her more. Kaoru sighed and let go of the pillow. Things were going to change and she wasn't sure she liked that. But she would deal with that later. Right now, sleep was calling to her and she gladly let the darkness take over.

"Mother~" Kaoru watched as a young girl, who strangely looked like her, ran to the older woman. Her eyes were the same blue. "Mother, shall we go pick some flowers?" The girl led her mother out to the flower bed without waiting for an answer. The two picked colorful flowers and went back inside the house to put it in the vase. A man inside grabbed the dirt covered little and swung her up, making her laugh.

"How was my little princess?"

She giggled and showed him the flowers. "Welcome home daddy. Mother and I just went to pick these flowers for the house."

"Ahh. You two always pick pretty flowers for the house" he said. He smiled and gave his wife a kiss. "You, my darling, look splendid as usual." The woman swatted his arm but blushed and smiled at his compliment anyway. The girl laughed, making her father and mother laugh with her. It was a perfect picture of a perfect family.

It became dark and Kaoru's eyes had to adjust to the dim lighting. The little girl was now huddled in a corner rocking back and forth. Suddenly she stood up and walked up the stairs by Kaoru. Kaoru followed the little girl. It was strangely quiet in the house. When the girl stopped in front of the door, Kaoru knew. She wanted to tell her not to go, not to scar her innocent eyes forever, but the little girl did not hear. The door opened and Kaoru screamed at the mutilated bodies of the young girl's parents and the blood on the white walls. She screamed in fear while the little girl froze and slowly began to back away. "Run!" Kaoru was screaming. The girl slowly backed away before doing as she said. Kaoru couldn't move. There was something keeping her there even though she wanted badly to go. That was when she saw the figure clad in gray. He watched the girl and narrowed his eyes before disappearing out the window.

"-ru! Kaoru please wake up!"

Kaoru sat up and whimpered in fear before realizing it was Misao that was in the room and Misao was supposedly a friend. "G-gomen nasai…"

"You were having a nightmare." The overactive girl seemed frightened and still. "You were screaming."

"A-ani? I don't remember…"

"What were you dreaming of? It helps to talk. And I don't think either of us is going to sleep anytime soon."

"I….I don't remember." Misao didn't look convinced. "Really….Its always been like this…I never remember…"

"You were screaming to run. Run from what?" Misao gently coaxed.

"I don't remember."

"You have to remember something Kaoru. Even the smallest detail will help. Why were you so scared?"

"I don't remember…" Kaoru closed her eyes. "What time is it?" she whispered.

"Its only 5:30."

"Oh…Sorry I woke you up so early… Gomen nasai."

"Its alright. Aoshi used to wake me up this early too." Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Err, you don't need to know why. Anyway, since you don't have to work today, I was hoping to have a girls day out. I want to get to know you more Kaoru. We can go shopping! I've been dying to get some new clothes and your closet is so empty! I can help you fill it up in no time."

Kaoru groaned. "We just met Misao. Something you should know is that I don't do shopping. And it's still early."

"Well then, I'll just have to buy the clothes for you. And we can always have a nice breakfast before the mall opens."

"You don't even know my size."

"Of course I do. I looked at the sizes when I got here earlier than you yesterday. I had to know if you were the same size as me. Even though you are taller…"

"Misao!"

"Great, so you'll come? Or should I buy those dresses I've been eyeing since I got here? They had one just your size and in red too!"

"Alright alright! I'll go with you!"

"Splendid. You go wash up and I'll call Aoshi to tell him good morning."

"Its 5:30!"

"He'll be up. You go take a nice long shower while I talk to my boyfriend." Misao bounced out of the room. Kaoru shook her head. That girl was too energetic for so early in the morning.

"This is ridiculous" she said to herself. But she grabbed some clothes and proceeded to do as the excited girl said. It was impossible to argue with Misao. Kaoru just met her yesterday and she already learned that. It was such a peculiar way to start the day.

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><p>Reviews please~ I haven't edited this so any criticism will be welcomed~<p>

**flaming-amber**: I'm glad you liked my story! I must admit, Kaoru seems a bit OCC when I write this, but it makes it all the more amusing, don't you think? XD

**WeepingRain**: I hope this chapter answers your questions about Kaoru's parents. Actually she isn't in a Psych Ward. Megumi was just trying to make a joke. XD And I believe Kenshin has decided to take things into his own hands, don't you think? Kekeke


	5. Chapter 5

**AN**: Hi everyone! I'm back with a new chapter! I don't know if this is early or right on time but I'm going to update this anyway. Honestly this scene was totally unexpected but it fit so I let it be. Enjoy~

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything that pertains to Rurouni Kenshin...except my fangirling...

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><p>"Honestly Misao. We just met and you've already bought me tons of clothes. I don't even need them!"<p>

"They looked nice on you. So I was being a good friend and bought them for you so you can fill up that wardrobe."

"I won't even wear them on a daily basis!"

"I'm going to be living with you for a while. Of course you are."

Kaoru groaned. There was still no way to argue with that girl. Even with pure logic, there was no way. Misao led her next to a dress store. "Oh no. Misao you are not taking me there."

"You need a dress for tonight, so yes, we are."

"I'm not doing anything tonight" Kaoru wailed.

"Yes you are. My friend needs a date for a dinner both he and I will be attending. Since I will be taking my Aoshi, he needs a date. And I figured you were a lovely single girl who needs some spice in her life so I volunteered you."

"You didn't even ask me!"

"I don't need to. I know you would have said yes." Misao turned her eyes to Kaoru. "He's a poor single man who works hard everyday of his life. He needs to have some fun so I forced him to go to this party. He hasn't had fun in a long time. And I wanted to get to know you better while we were both at this party."

"Misao…" Kaoru groaned.

"Please Kaoru? I'll pay for everything you need tonight. Just do this for me?"

"Oh Kami, I can't argue with you can I?"

Misao gave her a bright smile. "I knew you would agree!" She gave a groaning Kaoru a hug. "Now lets go buy you a dress."

Kaoru groaned but let the girl lead her forwards. She avoided everything red and instead looked at the black dresses. They seemed simple enough. Misao caught her looking at really simple dresses and shook her head. Instead she chose several dresses and pushed Kaoru towards the dressing rooms. "Go try them on and come out so I can see. I want my friend to have the best looking date ever."

Kaoru grumbled and cursed under her breath, wishing she had her bokkon with her. But she still tried on the dresses, as much as she hated it. She dared not look into the mirrors when she stepped out. Misao made it a point to comment on her loudly whenever she walked out. Or she would criticize with the same loud voice. Kaoru knew everyone in the dressing rooms heard and felt her face grow hot with every dress she tried on. Did Misao really not know how to keep quiet? "Misao, I really don't think this is working" Kaoru finally muttered. She was wearing a dark purple dress with a belt around the waist and a ridiculously large fake gem holder her one strap up. "Can I stop now?"

"No. We have to find the right dress."

"You realize that there are other stores out there right? Stores with more _conservative _dresses."

"But he doesn't like dresses from common stores like those" Misao muttered.

"What was that?"

"Just try on that one last dress and I'll see if I can find one more that will suit you." Misao disappeared into the store while Kaoru sighed and walked back into the dressing room. "This is not how I wanted to spend my Saturday."

"Kaoru! You done yet? I found the perfect dress, it was sitting right under my nose! I can't believe I missed it!"

"You said that a lot already." Kaoru stepped out in a bright pink princess dress with a disgusted look on her face.

"But look at this!" Misao pushed the purple fabric into Kaoru's hands. "Try this on. Bubble gum pink doesn't suit you anyway." Kaoru rolled her eyes and hoped that this was the last one. When she stepped out, Misao was silent for once.

"What? Does it look that bad?" Kaoru asked, irritated.

"No. Its perfect. Just like I said it would be. Hurry, take that dress off so I can pay for it and we'll look for shoes." Kaoru rolled her eyes and went back in to change into her normal clothes. Sighing in relief to be back into pants and a tee, she handed the dress to Misao. Misao paid for the dress and dragged an unwilling Kaoru into a shoe store.

"YOU CAN'T WALK IN HEELS?"

~ An hour later...~

Kaoru sighed, glad that the afternoon of shopping was finally coming to an end. Misao bought a pair of dark sapphire flats for Kaoru but swore she was going to teach her how to walk in heels. They were finally back at her apartment where Misao was taking a shower. Kaoru combed out her long dark hair. Her hair was very dark, more like her father's color, but she grew it long like her mother's. Misao came out, towel drying her equally long hair. "Megumi should be here soon so we can all do our hair and make up together."

"Misao, I don't want to do this."

"What about my friend?"

"I don't want to be set up with someone I don't know." A knock on the door made Misao run out. Megumi walked in moments later. "Kitsune."

"Watch your mouth tanuki. Remember, I'm the one doing your hair and makeup today."

"Well, if it weren't for you, I'm sure I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place."

"Shut up and close your eyes. Misao, dry her hair while I do her make up." Misao was surprisingly obedient and Kaoru wished she wasn't. Kaoru would have complained about not being ready on time but it seems she would not be let go so easily. Megumi finally finished brushing powders on her face and her hair was dry. Megumi set to work pinning her hair up into elaborate curls and sticking pins into her head. "Need you use so much force Kitsune?"

"Beauty for the price of pain."

"I don't want to be beautified, thank you very much."

"Sure." Megumi stabbed a pin extra hard, making Kaoru yelp. "Oh, sorry dear tanuki. I was just thinking about how an ugly tanuki like you could never get a guy with her looks alone." She stuck her nose in the air and laughed.

"Damn kitsune."

"Come on Megumi. You need to do my hair too!" Misao was already dressed in a dark green gown and had make up on her face too. "Aoshi said he's going to be here in an hour and a half." Megumi sighed and pinned a few more curls up before nearly pushing Kaoru off the chair. "Go put your dress on then come back to help me with Megumi's hair" Misao ordered. Kaoru cursed under her breath as she grabbed the new dress and headed for the spare bedroom.

Kaoru spent a second too long looking at herself in the mirror. The dress slid down to hug her curves and the skirt fell like a waterfall. The top was a light purple which darkened until it became dark violet at the waist. Silver silk was underneath the light purple fabric draping over her shoulders. "Oh Kami," she whispered. "I look like I'm going to a dance or something!" She didn't know if she felt happy or disgusted by that.

"Kaoru! Come back here will you?" She was half tempted to rip the dress off and throw on sweats before rushing to the gym. But she knew Megumi would follow her and drag her by the hair. Sighing in defeat, she walked back to her room where Megumi was putting on her own make up. Her dark blue dress was now on her body. Misao and Megumi paused while they assessed Kaoru. They both nodded in approval before Megumi sat down and Misao ordered Kaoru to bring everything she would need. Kaoru hardly touched Megumi's hair, only when she ran out of clips and had to hold the hair out of Misao's way.

The girls had finished pinning Megumi's hair up and Kaoru grabbed a long trench coat to wear over her dress. There was a knock on the door and Misao answered it with a bright smile on her face. "Hi Aoshi-sama~" She grabbed his hand and led him in. "Where is everyone else?"

"They're coming up. Sano is trying to drag the other one up."

"I hear them coming already." She smiled up at him. "Did you miss me Aoshi-sama?"

He was silent as he stared into her eyes. The moment seemed so intimate that Kaoru looked away. She felt like she was intruding on their privacy.

"Took you long enough rooster-head" Megumi said. Kaoru's eyes turned to the door and narrowed. "Bring the guy in here."

The man had his long hair tied up high on his head. It was kept out of his eyes and she saw a beautiful color as they met hers. But she still didn't like him. Not one bit.

"Kenshin" she hissed.

"My, my, is that Kaoru? So nice to see you again."

She glared at him and promptly turned back to her room. "Where do you think you're going tanuki?"

"Well Kitsune, since you've seemed to have brought me the most awful date, I figured you were joking about bringing me to that party and I would now be allowed to take this damn dress off and go to the dojo." She wanted to feel a bokkon in her hands. She wanted to imagine fighting that stupid redhead and knocking his lights out. Then doing the exact same thing to everyone else that now stood in her apartment.

"Now, that is no way to treat your date. Come, you might have fun." Kenshin grabbed her arm and turned her back around.

"Not with you I'm not" she snarled. She tried punching him and getting out of his grip but he was strong and fast. He simply caught both her hands and dragged her out of her own apartment. "Let go of me dammit!"

He was silent and instead led her down to where a limo was waiting for the group. Everyone got in and Kaoru was still swearing a string of curse words that would shame a sailor. When Kenshin got annoyed, he turned his amber eyes to her. They narrowed in annoyance but she refused to be intimidated by his gaze. So he leaned over and shut her up.

By kissing her no doubt.

She was stunned silent. _That….He…What….That…._

He grinned in satisfaction while the others looked on smirking. "Now keep quiet until we get there or I'll do that again. Not that I would mind..." He licked his lips suggestively and Kaoru composed herself again. She hit his arm hard and turned away but still kept quiet. He smiled. She was too easy.

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><p><strong>Flaming Amber<strong>: You never know what might happen! I am hoping Kaoru gets to kick some butt too. XD I'm pretty sure its Kenshin she wants to beat though. Poor Kenshin!

**Weeping Rain:** Its hard to explain this without giving away my plot. So what Kaoru saw in the dream was basically just a dream that she can't remember. In reality, the mother that actually raised her died first then her father raised her by himself for eight years before he too died. Hope this sort of explains everything so far.

**Kokoronagomu**: Its nice hearing from you again! Kaoru is indeed an angry person. She is quite violent when she wants to be. And I think Misao can get through anyone's defenses if she wanted to. She is just that kind of girl XD


	6. Chapter 6

_**AN**_: Sorry for such a belated chapter. My apologies~

_**DISCLAIMER**_: I do not own Kenshin or anything relating to Rurouni Kenshin...sadly...

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><p>The car ride was quiet as Kaoru tried her best not to look at the others. She was ashamed that a kiss was stolen from her so easily. She was also ashamed that it was Kenshin who stole the kiss from her. Of all people, it had to be him who stole her first kiss.<p>

The limo stopped in front of a large mansion. This did not look like a fun party that Misao described. It looked like a really formal boring kind of party. Kaoru stubbornly stayed in her seat as everyone got out. Kenshin glared at her and held out his hand. She shook her head and crossed her arms. "Do I need to kiss you into submissiveness?" he asked.

She blushed and refused to look at him. "I won't fit in."

"You will be fine."

"I am not pretty."

"You are beautiful." Kaoru turned at the sudden compliment. "Come. I promise you will have more fun tonight than you thought you would."

She reluctantly looked at him and took his hand. "I'm only doing this for Misao. She spent so much money on the dress. It was ridiculous."

He chuckled. "Sure." He got out of the car, still holding her hand. She grumbled and wished he didn't. She could have closed the door and threatened the driver to drive. He must have known what she was going to do. She carefully stepped out and clutched his arm.

"You must stop me before I make a fool of myself" she whispered.

"You will be fine." He calmly looped her arm through his and they walked in.

There were many lights and many people. Everyone stopped to nod politely at Kenshin before shooting curious glances at Kaoru. She stood straight and acted like she did not care. She dared not grip his arm tighter, in case he thought she would rely on him. She was not relying on him. She was merely accompanying him as a friend and because her friends forced her to. Yes, that was her excuse for being there. She finally found Misao and Megumi, with their respective dates. Misao bounded over, still as energetic as usual. "You finally got out of the car. I thought you really were going to stay in there. Which would have been a disappointment because I spent so much time looking for the perfect dress for you. And Kenshin would have been dateless again."

"Misao?" Kaoru interrupted. The small girl looked at her confused. "You talk too much."

"Yes, yes I know. Everyone already tells me that. Except Aoshi, of course."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "You seem to be doing fine anyway tanuki." Megumi said. "Its perfect. Of course, it couldn't have happened without my skills."

"You shut it kitsune. I didn't need nor did I want your help." The two glared at each other.

"Now, now ladies. No need to fight here" Kenshin said.

"You stay out of this Kenshin. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be here either." Kaoru hissed. Her glare was turned to him now. The two stared at each other. Kaoru was unwilling to break from his gaze. It would have been a sign of weakness and she was showing that she was not weak. Kenshin was taunting her, and she knew it.

"Well, well, well. What has the baka deshi brought today."

"Shishou." Kenshin said curtly. Kaoru composed herself and turned around.

Kenshin's teacher was a huge man. He was tall and wide. Kaoru had to work hard to keep her face from looking surprised. She bowed and calmed herself. "You are?"

"She is my date tonight, shishou" Kenshin said. His teacher raised an eyebrow but took the answer.

"Ah, well then, I hope the baka deshi treats you well."

"Thank you" she said curtly. "However, even if he does, I would not want to be stuck with him for that long."

The man laughed. "And why would that be so?"

"I hate his guts." She said bluntly.

He laughed. "I like this girl! I am Hiko by the way. You are?"

"Someone you will hopefully not be seeing after this party."

He laughed again. "You are a smart girl. Have fun tonight. I enjoyed your company." He walked away laughing. The crowd parted as he walked by.

Kenshin sighed. "He's finally gone."

"You" Kaoru hit his head. "You should have at least bowed. He is your master. Show some respect to him."

His eyes narrowed as he rubbed his head. "Not necessary" he said.

"Yes, it was." She sighed and flipped her half pinned hair dramatically. "I think its time I go now." Misao and Megumi laughed, making Kaoru even more angry. "This was not meant to be funny. I really do want to go home now."

"But you haven't even danced with him yet!" Misao pushed Kaoru with a little too much strength and Kaoru fell into Kenshin's arms. "Just go for at least one dance and then you can go home."

"Misao!" But the girl was already off with her Aoshi on the dance floor.

Kaoru sighed. "Any way I can get you to let me go now?"

"You can…" he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Spend the night with me."

"Hmm" she turned around and reached a hand slowly towards his face. He grinned and she fisted it to quickly set a punch on him. He easily caught it. "I think not." She hissed. She headed for the dance floor after pulling her hand free. "Come on" she called over her shoulder. "Are you coming or what?" He carefully followed her and took her in his arms for a dance. "Watch where you're touching. I am only here so I can go home as soon as possible."

Kenshin chuckled. "You will like it in my arms."

"No I won't" she said. And so their argument continued.

It was around midnight when they actually stopped and went home with everyone. Kaoru was surprised. It was only meant to be one dance but somehow it led to several others as they argued. She didn't even realize they changed dances. Now she felt her tired feet and her headache from the pins. She sighed and sat back rubbing her eyes.

"Tired?" Kenshin asked.

"Leave me alone" she snapped. "I could have gone home a long time ago but you were an idiot and I stayed longer."

"How is it my fault?"

"I said leave me alone!"

He sighed but stayed quiet. Eventually, Kaoru fell asleep. When the car turned, her head fell onto his shoulder. He looked at her and saw she was still sleeping, not even feeling the contact. He poked her face and she did nothing. Satisfied, he sat contently.

The others saw this and looked away. Part B was going to begin soon.

"Kenshin." Misao called. "Can we switch tonight?"

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because I rather like it with Aoshi sama~ I've been away from him for too long."

"You were with him the whole night."

"But I haven't been with him for a whole day." She gave him a sad pleading look. "Please Kenshin? Please please please!"

He sighed. "If she kills me tomorrow I'll tell her to kill you first so we can both rip you apart."

"Yay! Thank you Kenshin!"

He was pushed out of the limo when they got their first destination. He sighed and took out the key Misao had given him. He supposed that it was nice. He was carrying Kaoru, who was still unconscious. It would be fun to tease her later. He gently settled her on the bed. Feeling a bit tired himself, he found the bathroom and quickly showered and wore his shirt and pants to sleep.

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><p>Weird chapter? Yes. Awkward ending? Yes. Now you have proof that it's me who wrote this.<p>

**Kokoronagomu:** Wow. I hope everything is okay for you. Please take care of and don't overwork yourself.

No one else reviewed the last chapter –cries- Oh well. This is a belated chapter. I was grounded for not having good enough grades. Now I need to study more. But don't worry, I'll be updating on a regular basis again.

Hope everyone enjoyed this! Please review~


	7. Chapter 7

**AN**: I am sorry! So so so sorry this took so long. But I hope everyone will support me and continue reading my story~ I am glad that there were comments to criticize what I wrote last chapter. I hope this chapter will be much better than the last. I'm trying my best, I really am.

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own these characters from Rurouni Kenshin. In fact, I do not own anything of Rurouni Kenshin... sadly...

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><p>Kaoru slowly blinked and rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. No, she wasn't. The fact that there was a red-headed man in her kitchen making breakfast was no dream. "What" she said slowly "are you doing here?"<p>

"Making breakfast obviously" he said. He turned and gave her a smirk.

"Well then, I advise you get out of my place before I start throwing my knives at you."

"How rude. Is this how you treat your house guests? No wonder Misao wanted out."

"You…"

"Be quiet and sit down. Its not like your company was so welcoming that I would want to stay here."

She sat down and closed her eyes. In her mind, she had taken her bokkon and slowly beat the life out of Kenshin Himura. She smiled at the image. Yes, it was quite amusing indeed. "What are you smiling about Thistle?"

Her eyes flashed open. "What did you call me?"

"I don't like to repeat myself." She was speechless and instead stabbed at the food her put in front of her. She paused for a second after putting it in her mouth. It was better than her cooking. But her eyes narrowed at him. He was smirking, seeing right through her act. "No need to thank me Thistle."

"Idiot" she muttered.

~A Few Days Later~

"Tell me again why I am out here with you?" Kenshin Himura had been staying at her house for three days already and Kaoru was very much annoyed. He left for work early and was back later than her when she worked. He enjoyed teasing her, saying how she was like a housewife waiting for his return. Then he cooked for both of them because he found out just how bad her cooking was. And just the other day, the neighbors were asking her if the 'red-haired man' was her boyfriend. _Boyfriend_! She quickly denied any attraction between them and hoped the women would not be spreading bad rumors like that around the building.

"Because I had to go to work and Misao told you to come out to meet her." He smoothly replied.

"Doesn't mean I had to come out here with you Idiot."

"Would you rather be lost in the city?"

"Actually, yes. I wouldn't mind being away from you and your hideous red hair."

He rolled his eyes. "Everyone loves my red hair. Stop lying to yourself."

The car stopped and Kenshin got out, handing the key to the valet. Kaoru stepped out and slammed the door closed behind her. "You are lucky I haven't beaten you to a pulp yet."

"Such violence is not fitting, Tanuki."

"Kitsune, what are you doing here?"

"I am here to take my boyfriend to work. And you? Taking your man to work too? Ohohoho. My, my, you only met him this week, didn't you?"

"You will do well to not say another word" Kenshin said. Kaoru was surprised. He was on her side.

"She is more than capable of taking care of herself." Megumi said.

"I do not want any unnecessary violence."

"You and I both know what you are capable of if anything happens."

Kaoru was standing there like a third wheel. She did not understand what this conversation was about. It only confused her and made her more irritable. "Now if you two would stop talking like I'm not here. I need to find Misao. Do either of you know where she is right now?"

"Right here" a high voice said. Kaoru turned to start yelling at Misao but the innocently happy look on her face stopped her. Kaoru pinched the bridge of her nose and turned away. "What do you want Misao? I need to go soon. I have classes to teach."

"Have lunch with me~ I have a lot to talk about."

"Let's do this another day."

"I already know you don't have class. Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays are your days off. It said it on your bulletin board. Besides, I don't really have much to do at work. Hiko won't mind. He'll just call me if he needs me."

Kaoru was muttering under her breath as she was once again dragged around by the overactive girl. They ended

Kaoru quickly learned that there were no such things as silence and privacy with Misao around. She was quick to say how she spent the night and how good it felt to finally be with her Aoshi-sama again. There was too much information and Kaoru just blushed and tried not to listen. "So, anything happen with Kenshin? You two seem to be getting along as usual."

"I would rather have you than Kenshin. I hate him" Kaoru said simply.

"No need to be shy with me Kaoru. You know I would love to help with anything you want."

"Surely you don't mean to imply that I like him?"

"Well why not? He is a pretty boy, especially with that red mane of his. Although he will never beat Aoshi-sama~"

"Look Misao, I-"

Kaoru was quickly cut off by the shattering of glass. There were some screams as footsteps landed on the floor. "The second in command of the Oniwabanshu, am I right?" A deep voice said. Kaoru was quick to turn and see what was going on. Three bulky looking men were staring at her. But when she looked at their eyes, she realized they were looking behind her. She quickly turned to Misao, who only sighed and stood. "What do you want?"

"You know what our master wants."

"So its him again? Tell him that having his men breaking into places will never make me help him. Nor will I ever betray Hiko. Now go away before I have to ruin my outfit."

His eyes narrowed. "You know better than to talk like that to me."

"You know better than to think I will take this crap."

The air was tense. Kaoru didn't want to move, in case something would happen. There were terrified eyes everywhere. Kaoru noticed a woman behind the counter make a move towards the phone. Apparently she was not the only one who saw. One guy was in front of the woman in an instant, back handing her onto the floor. There was a red mark on her cheek but no cut.

No matter, it infuriated Kaoru. She was seized with a flare of anger and charged at the man. She was caught by his comrade and her arm was twisted around to her back. In an instant reaction, she jumped and pulled the man forward onto the floor when he was off balance from her sudden movement. He groaned.

She turned to the man who hit the woman. If only she had a bokkon. This would be a perfect substitute for training. Instead she would have to work on the hands-on part of her family's style. She slid into her stance, relieved that she wore comfortable pants today. The man charged first. She smirked, they were all the same. Thinking they could take her on just like that. She waited until he got close enough to dodge and used the spin from her dodge to finish the circle and hit his back, knocking him to the floor too.

She quickly stepped in front of the other man, no fear on her face. "You will hurt no other innocent here." She said, quoting the words she heard once from her father when he stopped a burglary in the Akabeko, the beef pot restaurant. "Your business is not with any one of them."

He watched her, unaffected by her words or her show of strength on his comrades. His face was kept blank. "A new recruit? How pathetic." He turned to his companions. "We will leave now. It seems the Oniwabanshu will not be cooperating again today." The two got up and the three quickly exited.

There was silence and Misao quickly broke it by sighing. "Well it seems I will pay for the damage done here today. If you will email me the amount to this email address, I will be sure to send the money to your account." She laid some money and a card on the table. "This will be for our bill today. Please keep the change." Kaoru was taken by the arm and led out as many eyes watched them.

~Half An Hour Later~

"Misao-"

"Ohhh look at these shoes! They are on sale too! We must go in and see!"

"Misao-"

"I love this color! Come Kaoru, we must go in now!"

"Misao! Will you listen to me darn it!"

Misao paused in her pulling. "Later, when everyone is ready, we will tell you" she whispered. "Not now."

"But Misao, you can't just leave me in the dark! I don't need anyone else to explain what that was, because they weren't _there_. You were and you know exactly what happened. You know what I want to know so just tell me!"

"I said later Kaoru!" Kaoru was stunned silent by Misao's sudden burst of anger. "Just be patient." She visibly took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Now lets go look at those shoes before someone buys them before me."

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> I feel like the fight sounded so corny! I feel ashamed now. And I was a bad author and didn't update as promised. Since there were already two comments on the slow plot, I hope this sped things up a little bit. I had to rethink how I wanted this story to go and fix whatever I had originally written for this chapter. So from now on, I cannot promise it will be perfect but I will certainly try my best.

_**WeepingRain**_: I'm glad you are still supporting me and I hope my future chapters will be easier for you to understand. I know my writing gets so out of place sometimes. I'm glad you gave me much needed advice. I will certainly work on moving my plot along.

_**Boohoo**_: Yes, Kaoru is really easily influenced by everyone else. And yes, Megumi and Misao are quite bossy. However, they are her friends and that is why she can't say no to them in the end. She really cares for her friends, even though she doesn't show it often. The things they do are mainly to help her benefit in the end, even if she does not know it. These are the reasons why they are the way they are, not simply because Megumi and Misao are "bitches" and Kaoru is a "pushover."

_**Melay**_: I'm also glad you told me how the plot is too slow for you. Now that you have pointed out Megumi to me, I realized that she really is unprofessional. And she does seem to be giving Kaoru much "shock therapy" XD I will have to rethink Megumi's actions and make sure she is more professional, but in my mind she is only trying to keep things light between them. Although they fight often and Megumi may not seem to care for Kaoru's feelings, she is also helping her get over some painful memories by pushing her. Like Kaoru's dislike for red and Kenshin's red hair. Although it seems mean, I hope you sort of understand Megumi's side now?(well...actually its my side of Megumi's side? or... Megumi's side in my mind...? yes, that makes more sense now. XD)

_**Kokoronagomu**_: I wanted to ask you if you thought the plot was too slow to understand too? I realize all my readers are different and I want to adjust my writings so that everyone can understand the nonsense that spouts from me.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Well, I tried. This chapter is a bit angst-y and will probably give you more questions than answers but enjoy anyway XD

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own any of the characters...sadly...

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><p>The two girls were sitting in the office waiting for the others to come. Misao had called everyone and told them to meet in the meeting room. Kaoru was roped into helping bring the take out. There was a tense silence as Kaoru wondered whether she would get her answers now.<p>

The door opened and the first to walk in was Megumi. "What is Kaoru doing here?"

"Why don't we wait for the others to come first?" Misao said.

Megumi raised an eyebrow at the tense silence. "Kaoru, is anything wrong? Do you need me to run through any tests again?"

"Please sit and eat Megumi." Kaoru said. She was quick to use her bangs to hide her eyes. Megumi sat but kept throwing glances at Kaoru, worried.

The door opened again and Sano walked in with Aoshi. "Yes, food!" Sano said. He ignored the tension and grabbed the food. Aoshi moved slowly, observing the scene before dropping a pat on Misao's head. She did not move.

Sano, Megumi and Aoshi ate in silence while they waited for Kenshin. He finally walked in with Hiko close behind him. He tensed, but after seeing no threat, he relaxed and walked in. Hiko sat at the head and observed Kaoru. She was not moving and seemed to be waiting. "Well then, let us begin."

"Shishou. Shouldn't we let her go first?"

"I have eyes Baka Deshi. I said, let us begin." Kenshin stayed silent.

"He came again." Misao started. Aoshi stilled and put his food down. "We were at a small diner and he just came crashing in. There was nothing I could do." She quickly glanced at Kaoru and looked away. "I was not quick enough to stop them from hitting a woman trying to get to the phone. However, they did leave more battered than anyone else."

"Why are we discussing this in front of her?" Kenshin asked irritated.

"Because she was the one who swung at them and now they think she is a new recruit."

Kenshin snarled. "You idiot! You just had to go and swing at them! Why couldn't you just stay out of things!"

"They hit a woman! How can you expect me to just sit back and not do something!" She yelled back. She was standing now, breathing hard.

"That situation was none of your business!"

"It wasn't that woman's either!"

"You could have gotten yourself killed! You could have gotten that whole crowd killed! Did you ever think about that?" She stayed silent but glared at him, still out of breath. "And you" he turned to Misao. "You just let her do that? You just let her swing at them? You should know better than to let stuff like this happen."

"Enough Kenshin" Kaoru shouted. "You will not blame her for anything. Stop being so angry! Its not like anyone got hurt!" Megumi saw her clenched, shaking hands.

"Enough Kenshin. Don't anger her anymore." She tried to push Kaoru down to the chair. "Kaoru sit down and calm yourself. You know what happens when you get like this."

"He-"

"Kaoru. I said calm yourself." The girl visibly tried to take deep breaths and closed her eyes tightly. "Remember, deep even breaths. Unclench your hands….Thats it."

Kaoru released her last deep breath and opened her eyes. "Thank you Megumi."

"If you can't stay calm you should leave right now."

Kaoru's eyes were a clear blue filled with determination. "I will stay here." She turned to Hiko and didn't dare look at Kenshin. "Hiko-san, I need some answers. This seems to not have been Misao's first time with guys like that."

"Yes." He said, leaning back. "And what of it?"

"What is going on? Who were those people?"

"You don't need to know."

"Of course I do. After all, I was the one who hit them and the one they now think is a new target. I have every right to know."

"You don't need to know that. As soon as this misunderstanding is over, there will be no danger to you."

"Hiko-san. This isn't just about me. This is about what you are responsible for. I need to know what is going on and what will go on."

He glared. "They are a bunch of bad men out to get my business."

"Do you really think, Hiko-san, that I will really accept that answer?"

"No. But I know better than to give out too much. All you need to know is that."

With that Kaoru gracefully bowed and turned. "Then goodbye Hiko-san. I hope that next time you will be completely honest with me."

She left. Kenshin stood to stop her but Hiko raised a hand to stop him. "She is right" he said. "I should give her more information and take her under my care too. But she doesn't seem fit for this type of work. Just keep a close eye on her. I'm sure they won't do anything drastic so soon but it would be better to be safe."

Kenshin nodded. He planned to keep a close eye on her anyway. "But shishou, shouldn't we be dealing with _them_ right now anyway? They appeared in public and made a scene. They aimed for Misao again. They know about her specialties. We should confront them now, before they attempt to do something more."

"Being rash will do nothing. If we start something, it will be us that is blamed in the end. We need them to make the first major play."

"We have a lot more to lose if they win in the end."

"Which is why I have you. All of you are here for a reason. There will be no bloodshed until the very end. I have trained everyone here to survive. I'm sure there will be no problems anytime soon."

"Our organization will not be able to hide its intentions from the world if this starts too soon" Aoshi cut in.

"I'm well aware of that. But until the council decides its time to start preparing, there is nothing we can really do except warn whoever will listen."

"Which isn't much" Sano said.

"When everyone starts to panic and come to us, we will have power. Then things can change. But until then, just keep your eyes open."

"Yessir" everyone answered. Hiko stood and walked to the door. Outside, Kaoru quickly ran out the building.

She had heard everything. What was this organization? What were their intentions?

It seemed that she had more questions than answers now.

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><p>I'm sorry everyone, it seems I just don't know how to make my planned plot go any faster XD I'm trying my best but it seems a bit hard right now. I'm concentrating on a lot of stuff at once. I'll update in a week, since I started the chapter anyway. And….yea. Until next time~<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:**Sorry its so short. But with schoolwork becoming priority, the chapters might be this short from now on. Anyway, enjoy~

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the characters, nor will I ever own them T_T

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><p>Once at home, Kaoru sighed. Things were going to get tense around here if Kenshin comes back. She silently headed for the shower. It always calmed her nerves. Stepping under the inviting spray, she rotated her neck, getting out the tough kinks in it. She slowly relaxed as she used her jasmine body wash. When the water ran too hot for her to handle, she finally turned it off and stepped out of the shower. The steam was thick, making it slightly harder to breath.<p>

Clad in only a towel, she opened the door and stepped out for some fresher air. She heard a noise by her bedroom and froze. Clutching her towel, she stormed into her room. "Kenshin, you baka-"

"That man is not here." Kaoru froze. In front of her was a man dressed casually in light tan colors. Suddenly realizing her vulnerable state, she turned and ran to her guest room. "He was in front of her in a flash. "Too slow." Then she blacked out.

Kenshin was finally back from staying out with Sano and Megumi. Megumi had been telling him what to do and what not to do when he gets back at Kaoru's house. He stayed silent and downed a drink with Sano before leaving. He could not take any more of Megumi's nagging and he would rather deal with Kaoru early. He drove back to her place and sat in the car after he parked it. Prolonging the silence, he sighed and leaned back. This whole ordeal now it involved Kaoru. He opened his eyes. She was in danger now. He was not in love with her, he knew that. He just felt this overwhelming need to protect that blue eyed girl. Getting out of the car, he mentally prepared himself for the torture she would surely place on him.

Upstairs, he knew something was wrong. He sensed a familiar ki in there that was not Kaoru's. His eyes narrowed, she never seemed the type to have one night stands. He unlocked the door and quickly stepped in. It was only her shoes by the door, no others. Suddenly feeling panicked, he raced to her room.

"Ah, Battousai. How nice of you to greet me just when I was leaving."

"Arundo."

"Well this lovely piece of meat is needed for some punishment, I would assume. So please, don't wait for this lover of yours to come back."

Suddenly seeing red, Kenshin reached out to grab him, only to hold thin air. Arundo had taken off into the air already, no doubt using the latest technology his comrade made. Laughing, he glanced back with a towel clad Kaoru on his shoulder. "Thank you for your time Battousai."

In rage, yelled the criminal's name once more before whipping out his phone. As soon as Hiko picked up, Kenshin was speaking low and fast. "You said they wouldn't do anything so soon."

"It wasn't them."

"Arundo took her!"

"Then he is working for someone else. They wouldn't have had the time to research who she was with their sources. It would have taken them days."

"He took her dammit! How am I supposed to find her?"

"You are the Battousai. You know what to do and how to do it." The line cut off and Kenshin stood there glaring at his phone. But his master was right. He was the Battousai who knew what to do and how to do it.

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><p>Sorry for the cheesy….well chapter. It was short and cheesy. Yup yup.<p>

So…yea. Hope you liked the chapter for all its worth. I will be back again next week~


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER**: As always, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin characters. Nor do I think I ever will...-sigh-

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><p>He knew this would happen. That is why he should have just left her alone that day. But the way she would avoid him in anyway possible only tempted him to do more. Battousai should never let his guard down like that. It had been his mistake. Now this was the consequence.<p>

Kenshin would get her back. Then he would disappear from her life. He had it all planned out. She had somehow become someone he really cared for, like the rest of his team. It had endangered her and this was the outcome. Even if it hurt him, she would live in peace. He didn't even know why he cared for her. He should never draw innocent people into his dark line of work.

Kaoru had been the epitome of innocence to him. She was naïve and cunning. Sometimes, she would suddenly show her caring side, even towards him. When someone was hurt, she was there to help. He watched her one day while she was teaching, and saw that behind all the knocks to the head and the scolding, she really did care for her students. This was the kind of innocence that he fought to protect in his dark world. That was what he was willing to sacrifice his light for.

Kaoru finally came to. She opened her eyes to a dark room. She sat up and felt wind touching her in places it shouldn't be touching. Realizing that she had nothing but her towel, she quickly clutched it to her chest. This was a vulnerable situation. She had to get out of here fast.

As if to discourage her, a man stepped into the room carrying a tray. Without a word, he set the tray on the floor by the bed and walked out again. She heard the disheartening click of a lock. Glancing at the food, she figured that it was edible. Especially compared to what she has cooked by herself in the past. In fact, she would go as far as to assume her stomach has become immune to food poisoning. Nevertheless, her first bite was a cautious one. After that first taste, she seemed to be ravenous. The need to eat all the food became strong. She finished everything on the tray. She turned away disgusted. Her stomach churned and her hand came to her mouth.

She wanted to throw up. She wanted to pass out. She wanted to go out. Hearing the door, she turned to find light. The same man from before took the tray. She took this opportunity to lunge at him. It threw him to the floor. He was only stunned but she took this opportunity to take the tray and hit him with it. She knew it would only make him black out for a minute, but that was all she needed. She was out the door running anywhere but where she was. It didn't take her long to find the front door. It wasn't even locked. This seemed pretty suspicious but she didn't hesitate to open the door and run out.

A few minutes later, she realized her mistake. Her back was pressed against a high gate. Then surrounding her, were several large guards. They eyed her hungrily. Pressing against the gate, she hoped for someone to save her. Being in crowded places wasn't really a good thing for her. She could only stand it for so long. She began to tremble.

"Now, now boys. I think that would be close enough to the lady." A man was suddenly in front of her. "Don't want to scare our guest to death, now do we?" His voice was light, nonchalant. The guards stood at attention and bowed before leaving the two. Whoever this guy was, he had authority. He then turned to Kaoru. "Well, I suppose I should have warned you when you woke up, but I was a bit preoccupied. You see, the guards are being paid to stand around and guard, but they can't leave the premises. So it would be best not to go out with such attire, miss."

"Who are you and where am I?" she spat out.

"My, my, you are not one for conversation, are you, miss? However, I suppose I should introduce myself first. I'm Banjin. You are now somewhere in the Eastern part of Japan."

"W-what?"

He nodded, with the same smile on his face. "Now, Can I have your name?"

"I-its….Kuramiko…" She wasn't sure about giving him her real name. So instead, she used the nickname her father gave her when she was too young to remember.

"Really now?" He led her back to the room she was in before. She paused, not wanting to go inside. "Trust me, Kuramiko-san. You would rather be in there than out here." He pushed her in when she didn't move. It didn't even seem like he had to use that much force. He pointed to the clothes that were on the corner of her bed. "Those are your clothes for now. We couldn't find anything else but we'll order some soon. The shower is in the room to your left. Everything you need should be there." He turned around. "Goodbye for now Kuramiko-san." He shut the door and locked it, giving her the eerie sense of finality. Cautiously, she took the shower in the lighted bathroom and came back out refreshed and wearing a kimono. It wasn't exactly her style, but she didn't hesitate to put it on and throwing her own towel away.

She knelt by the bed and cleared her mind. She could meditate and at the same time, figure out how she was going to get out of here. Surely that Banjin had to be joking about being in Eastern Japan. And, surely, Misao or Megumi would have called the police by now. She would be found anytime soon. She only had to wait a few days.

A few days passed and then a few weeks. Kaoru was beginning to go crazy. The same nightmare was beginning to haunt her again. She always woke up, frightened, in that room. No one would be there to comfort her. It was usually Kenshin who would wake her up before the nightmare finished. She would shove him away, saying she's fine, but was really relieved to see him, even with his red hair. Kaoru had become accustomed to it. Red no longer terrified her. It only made her uncomfortable now; something she could handle on a daily basis.

Loneliness had begun to overwhelm her. She tried to escape many times, but was always stopped by a guard. They were never the same guards. Locked in that room, she always had to wait for her food to come. After she was thrown back into the room, she would finish the food, always ravenous as soon as it touched her tongue. She hated it. It made her want to starve. But she knew she needed her strength. If she was ever going to escape this place, she needed to eat and train as best as she could.

Things were getting worse. It felt like a year had passed by already in that place. She knew it wasn't nearly that long, but in the dark room, she could never tell. The nightmare began to haunt her, even when she wasn't sleeping. She could remember some of it now, since she didn't take her medicine for a long time. The girl that looked like her hiding in the dark basement… The blood on the white walls…A figure clad in gray…

Kaoru would whimper before remembering that she was supposed to be a strong girl. She shook her head and changed into the sweats and tank top she was given. She was starting to get weaker. Before, she was able to do several katas without breaking a sweat. Now she could hardly even finish one without breathing hard. She used a knife she had hidden one time when they brought food in for her. They were so careless. She knew something was weird but took advantage anyway. She practiced with the knife, even though it was too small.

She began to stop sleeping. The nightmare became too much. She knew she was going crazy. Her attempts to get out were more frequent and more desperate. Being locked up in that room had driven her insane. All the guards could see the dark bags under her eyes and her sloppy movements to reach the gate. It was hard to miss.

She didn't know how long it has been. Kaoru only knew that she was finally being let out of that dark room. She was led to a lighted room instead. There was a huge bed in the middle and a small window in the bathroom. Here, at least she could breath. The window was too small to escape through, even with her major loss of weight. As much as she tried to remain in shape, she was no where near how fit she had been when this whole ordeal started.

The door opened and Banjin came in. She glanced at him, wary. "Well, Kuramiko-san, it seems you will be having a nice change of scenery. How do you like it here?"

"How long have I been here?"

"Quick to the point I see." He opened his eyes. They were strangely empty, even with his smiling face. "Let's see, when were you taken here again? Oh right, May. What day is it today? Oh, right, forgive my horrible memory. Its hard to keep track of days here." She glared at him. He was obviously trying to waste her time. He smiled some more. "Oh, its only the end of June. It hasn't been too long yet."

Her eyes widened. June? What about her students? Her bills? Her friends? She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "What the hell do you mean _only_ June? This is beyond enough time to keep someone captured. I demand that you return me to my home!"

"I don't believe you are in any position to demand anything Kuramiko-san." He swiftly pulled out of her grip and her bent over with her hands behind her back. "While I am not one for hurting ladies, there are others out there who can do worse. You will be meeting all in due time. In fact, I'm sure Gein will be here any minute."

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><p>This is a…weird chapter. The characters are a bit OOC. I hope you don't mind.<p>

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this strange chapter. Sorry for taking so long _

_**Kokoronagomu**_: Thank you, as always, for reviewing~ Wouldn't it be great if Kenshin could save her on time and completely melt her heart? That would be so touching~ even if it's a little bit cliché.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN**:Sorry for taking such a _long_ time to update this. But now school is over, and summer vacation has come! I will be updating more frequently, not waiting a month to get around to starting an update.

**DISCLAIMER**: *sigh* I do not own Kenshin or Kaoru or Battousai (as much as I would love to own him~) or any of the characters mentioned.

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><p><strong><em>Look And See<em>** **Chapter 11**

_**By BRI-C123**_

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><p>"Gein?" Kaoru asked.<p>

"His company isn't so wonderful. You might even come to hate him. But I would suggest you do whatever he asks. It isn't fun when you argue with him. He's horrid when he gets angry." Banjin shuddered.

"Well, would you like to be the example for her? I'm sure after she watches you, she'll be more compliant."

"N-no thanks man. You can have her now. I'm going. Bye!"

While it did irritate her that Banjin just left her, she was also a bit wary. The man that was now standing at the doorway of her new "room" didn't seem normal like Banjin was. Banjin had reminded her of the rooster head Megumi claimed was her boyfriend. That was a relief for her. It was almost comforting. But the man named Gein was not one she would call comforting. The mask he wore screamed "mentally unstable." She slowly backed away. "Gein, I assume?" She raised her chin and tried to put up her strong front.

"You assume correctly. And you, I assume, are the woman Banjin called Kuramiko? The one who always tries to escape, despite being caught every time, and refuses to talk to Banjin about anything relating to Hiko and his group."

Her eyes narrowed. "I know nothing about Hiko nor anything about his group. Nothing you do will make me suddenly know anything. My friends, if they even are my friends, have done nothing. I am held captive here with no reason what so ever. In fact, this is kidnapping and I have every right to sue all of you once you let me out of here."

He seemed amused, although it was hard to tell with the mask and all. "Really now? Are you sure about that?"

"That is the truth. Now let me go."

"Oh no. I don't think you really are telling the truth. Not from what I hear, _Kamiya_-san." She froze. "Surprised? I wasn't. You do look like a Kuramiko so its easy to see how Banjin blindly believed you. Although Kaoru does seem to fit you much better." He grabbed her by the chin. She struggled but his grip was hard, unbreakable. "What other lies are you telling me?"

"I have told no other lies." She muttered.

He smirked at her stubbornness. "We shall see about that." He threw her to the floor and licked his lips. He always liked this part of his job best. The ability to bring his victims to the brink of death while testing out any new weapons he has. To hold them prisoner and do as he pleases while getting paid. That was the life, that was _his_ life.

It has already been a month. There is still no sign of Kaoru anywhere. Kenshin was going crazy. That woman had been pulled into his line of work. He wondered how she would be feeling right now. Is she hurt? Did they torture her for information? Of course they did. But she was strong in her own way. She didn't know anything. He had been hoping she would be returned soon but it never happened. He hardly slept anymore. He was haunted by nightmares of her bloodied body lying mangled in the streets. It was so frequent, that he stopped sleeping. He knew he would only wake up a few hours later with painful memories of the dream. He devoted that time to drinking lots of coffee and continuing his search for Kaoru.

The others were starting to give up. There was no sign pointing anywhere to whoever had taken her. He was to the point of obsessing over her. Her apartment was left exactly the way she had it. He still stayed there, going over the moment she was taken from him.

Hiko had seen his eyes. They were bleeding gold. The man knew Kaoru meant something to him. He too liked Kaoru a lot. She had that innocence that no one but Misao really had in his company. Her character was strong.

Megumi always worried over her. She would tell no one why. A patient's privacy should have no effect in such desperate times, but that is what she always said and she would not give in to anyone. Even with Sano working on it, she never spilled anything. Although Sano easily caves in to Megumi's will.

But not even Misao, who easily snuck into everyone's privacy, could get her hands on Kaoru's records. Megumi was hiding something from them all. But if she insisted that it has nothing to do with where she is, then no one pushed it too far.

At night, as Kenshin is out looking for any signs of Kaoru's whereabouts, Megumi sits in her room long after Sano falls asleep holding a bottle of pills in her hands. On the label is the name Kaoru Kamiya.

Kaoru lay on the floor by the bed. The cold hardness kept her awake through the pain. "What, Kamiya-san? Can't take anymore? Shall I stop for the day?" She didn't say anything and tried to keep her head together. "I'll stop if you tell me more about Battousai."

She slowly turned to face Gein. "I will tell you again. I. Know. Noth-" She gasped as another one of his thin needles slashed her arm again. She whimpered.

"I still don't believe you. But seeing as you might die too soon, I'll stop for the day. I expect to have more fun tomorrow Kamiya-san." He turned and walked away from her bleeding body. The door was shut and locked behind him.

She stayed where she was long after he left. When she finally found the strength to move, she crawled her way to the bathroom. She made her way into the shower and turned on the water. The water made her cuts sting, causing her to hiss in pain. She let the blood slowly wash off the rest of her body and clothes. The wet cloth fell to the floor, forgotten and no longer useable. The soap stung even more but she continued to wash herself. She had to get away soon.

There was no more feeling in her body except numbing pain. She collapsed onto the bed, ignoring the change of clothes that was laid out, and passed out.

Kaoru awoke some time later. The light coming from the window was darker than what it was before. She knew it was getting late into the night. She quickly changed, wincing at the sore spots on her body. She quietly opened the door and snuck out. There were no guards outside her room like the last time. She found it easy to get outside the house. She got back to the tall gates again and glanced around. It was surprisingly quiet. She shook off the hesitation and ran to a corner where she could climb the gate. She almost reached the top when a chill went down her spine a split second before she started bleeding. Her hands suddenly went clammy and she was no longer near the top.

She dropped to the ground, clutching her arm. "Well, I am going to have more fun sooner than I thought." Her eyes followed Gein as he slowly walked forward. "We released the guards here because we thought you were smart enough not to try escaping after you went through me. Apparently, we thought wrong. We already let the guards go, but I have no problem keeping you here by myself." He lifted his hand she whimpered at the sharp pain of his thread cutting her skin again. "I was going to wait until tomorrow, but since you've made me angry I'll speed up my schedule. Did you know I made puppets? Yes, they are great things. I can even make you. I am a master at it. But let's get to the interesting part, shall we?" At his sudden movement, she saw something come out from the shadows. She stared in horror at the thing that came out.

It was more than three times her height. It looked sinister, and ready to eat her alive. She backed up a little bit and swallowed. "What's with the overgrown toad?" she asked. It was hard to keep her strong façade up.

"Not the most beautiful face. No, but its beauty lies on the inside." He touched the thing, petting it as if it was a loving dog. "Ah yes, my beautiful puppet. I've yet to try it out in any real fight yet. I will give you the pleasure of being the first." She was tossed a short sword. The heavy weight of it made her arms ache a bit. "Give it your worst Kamiya-san." He disappeared inside the body of the "puppet." She stood on shaky legs. Sleepless nights, haunting nightmares, and a month without her medication was taking its toll on her. She just barely lifted the sword to face her opponent. "You are a weak thing. Where is that fire the boss saw in you? There is no reason he should keep you alive." The puppet stood. "But I suppose I should be grateful too. It was amazing how you managed to stay alive for this long. And now I get a new test subject. Now fight!"

An arm swung towards her. Reacting on instinct, she dodged and rolled quickly to the right, closer to the wall. He swung the arms some more, and she dodged until her back hit the wall. She was now trapped.

"Tch." Her mind fought to work like it used to. She saw the arm coming towards her and blocked with her sword. She pushed it back and stood straight. "I was taught by my father, master of the Kamiya Kashin Style. You will not take me down easily."

"That is what I wanted to hear." The dance began. She blocked everything but was only able to do that, block. There was no time for her to advance before he struck again. When he finally stopped, she leaned against the wall for support while she evened out her breathing. A real sword was heavier to wield than a shinai. "Tired, Kamiya-san? Oh, that won't do. I haven't even used the fun parts of my puppet yet. Shall we continue this tomorrow?" She didn't answer. Her breathing was not back to normal yet. "Very well." He turned around. She took this chance to jump for a surprise attack. Her sword met the puppet head on, but the shell did not break. It was not even pierced. She fell back and watched it turn back to her. "Do you like it? Its made of elastic, so thick that nothing can get through it. It's a real beauty, isn't it?"

"Its an ugly toad" she repeated. She held her head high and brought her sword up, ready for another attack. "You hide behind gimmicks, not able to fend for yourself. All your weapons hide your weakness."

"Do you not hide behind a weapon yourself? That sword you carry is a weapon, is it not? Do not speak to me like you know all."

"Kamiya Kasshin Style has Jujitsu. We are able to protect, with or without a sword." To prove it, she rushed towards the head and gave it a flying kick. She bounced back and landed on her feet. She started swinging the sword again. When Gein did not strike back, she struck harder with more vigor, hoping to break through the puppet and get to the man.

He stayed still, letting her have her fun and waste her energy. When she stopped for breath, he was quick to act on it. He swung the arms far, disengaging the mechanics inside and letting the arm stretch out to roughly throw her to the wall again. She choked back her scream of pain. It came out as a pain filled gasp instead. "How interesting. But it matters not. I'm here only to get information and my entertainment out of you. Tell me now, Kamiya-san, what is Battousai planning?"

She gasped for air. When he eased back to let her talk, she coughed. "I know nothing." She tried to pierce the skin again. It was stretched, thinner than before and she managed to make a small cut, but not enough to draw out the man. He flung her towards the house, which she hit. She dug the sword to the ground, using it to help her get up.

"You cut it." A large hand knocked her again. "You made an _imperfection_ in my masterpiece!" He swung the large hand again and she was knocked unconscious. "The bitch!" He stepped out of his puppet to examine the damage. "Nothing that can't be fixed, but damn." He turned to the unconscious girl. "I suppose I can't get anything out of her either. I've used my best and she still won't talk. Perhaps a game with someone new will change her mind." He turned and left with his now imperfect puppet. He did not care to stay and play anymore. He had work to do.

She was left on the ground outside. She slept without a single dream or nightmare, just the perfect darkness of unconsciousness.

Kenshin sat up straighter in his bed. A sudden chill went down his spine. He quickly dressed and stepped out of the apartment. There was nothing there to disturb him. But that chill…

He was outside the building in a flash. He looked around, looking for any sign of a threat. He quickly scoured the whole neighborhood, but there was nothing. He sat on a rooftop, slowly closing his eyes. Part of him felt relief but another part felt crushing defeat. "Damn" he said to himself. _Damn it all to hell. From that chill I had thought…._

He had thought he was going find Kaoru's dead body.

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><p>I hope you enjoyed this update~ I tried my best not to get too angst-y (if that can be considered a word) but its hard when you're in a situation like Kaoru's, I guess. Please forgive the OOCness of this. I tried my best to stay within character but sometimes it's a bit hard.<p>

Well, until next time! (which will hopefully be soon)

**Kokoronagomu**: I would say Kaoru was much better off in the manga than in my story. At least she had the power of knowledge there, like you said. Thank you, as always, for reviewing.

**Kenjustsu2Princess**: Thank you for reviewing! I hope Kaoru isn't too OOC in this story for you~ She is also my favorite, for her strong sense of character when it comes to kenshin~ Ahhh such young love~


	12. Chapter 12

**AN**: How is everyone? I've finally updated~ I know most of you are like, get on with it already, so here it is:

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own anything that belongs to Watsuki-san.

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><p>Kaoru blinked her eyes open. She sat up slowly, wincing at the pain along her whole body. She was still outside, on the floor. She was covered in dirt and bruises. Standing up was a painful thing, but she managed to do so without a sound. She walked inside. In her condition, there would be no way to climb that fence now. The sword in her hand was also a burden she could not risk losing. She would just have to shower and rest as much as she can.<p>

She stumbled into the room she'd been staying in. She locked the door behind her as she entered the bathroom. With the sword laid gently by the door she stripped off her dirty clothes and stepped into the warm spray of the shower.

She sighed and rubbed her neck. Her whole body was sore and tense from the bad treatment its been getting. Hopefully Gein will give her a day off. She really didn't know anything, especially not a Battousai. What kind of name was that anyway?

She sighed and turned off the water after scrubbing all the grime off her body. Its been so long and she still couldn't escape. Was she really this weak? No, she had to get out soon. If no one has been able to find her then there is definitely a problem. This place was probably not even on a map. The only thing she knew was that she was still in Japan. So if she headed west, she might be able to find civilization and get back home. But as she quickly glanced out the window, she knew that the idea was absurd. She would not last even a day in that forest. And even if she had the sense of direction, there was no way to grab food and run with a weapon at the same time. There would be several people on her immediately, and she would not be able to outrun them. She cursed and grabbed some clothes in the bedroom to change into. There had to be _some_ way out of here.

Kenshin shot up from his lying position on the bed. "What?" he cried into the phone. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Do you not trust the word of the Oniwabanshu Okashira?"

"No, of course not. Gomen, Aoshi. I'm just in shock."

"Hn."

"So am I going alone, or is Hiko sending more?"

"Go talk to Hiko yourself." The line was cut off.

Kenshin was elated. The Oniwabanshu had finally been able to locate a house on the Eastern part of Japan. It was secluded, perfect for hiding out. The ninja's had seen many guards there just a few days ago. They definitely had to be guarding something or someone important. But that wasn't enough information for them to conclude it was Kaoru in there.

Then the guards had been released. The ninja followed them and heard talk of a girl who tried to escape everyday. When they finally captured one guard, he was quick to give up any information they wanted. A girl with blue black hair and blue eyes. Always trying to escape and always being asked for information. Even when she said nothing, they would interrogate her everyday for hours, until everyone got annoyed at the lack of response. They had been let off duty so that someone else could take the job of interrogating her.

Kenshin quickly dialed the number to his Shishou. "What is it Baka deshi?"

"Am I going alone?"

Hiko sighed. "Of course not. Even if it was you, no single man could take down a whole army of guards. If they replaced the guards there. If they didn't, then obviously someone much stronger than all those guards will be there. That will cause a problem if there is more than one too. So I'm sending Aoshi who will probably have the weasel follow him. That will be your team. I expect you to bring that girl home and coddle her until she is alright. No wondering off to kill people baka deshi."

"Shishou-"

"If you feel its your fault, then don't run away from your duty to make sure she is okay." With that, the line was cut off. Kenshin sighed. His master was always butting into his business.

A small smile silently crept onto his face. They had found Kaoru. He would finally be able to hold her in his arms again.

There it was, her best chance of escape. Kaoru knew it was suspicious, especially with everything that's been going on. But she saw Gein ship his "creation" out of the gate and she knew that there was an opportunity that she couldn't miss. She grabbed the shinai and tucked it into her belt loop. It hung by her side, ready if she needed to use it. She quickly scanned the hallway before making her way to the back door. There was no one there. She ran out and hid amongst the tall bushes. She watched the house for a moment to catch her breath. There was no movement inside. She took the chance to run out the open gate. She managed to run into the forest when the sound of rustling leaves made her pause. She looked up and instinct made her jump back in time.

A long clawed arm had struck the ground right where she had stood. It retracted back to the shadows of the trees. "Leaving the party early, my dear? That is not nice at all." She turned, hoping to find the owner of the voice. All she saw were the shadows of the forest.

"Show your face you coward" she said.

She dodged another strike from the long arm. "Watch your mouth. I am no coward. I live in shadows. I am simply living, not hiding."

"You hide from me and use an excuse. Are you unable to strike me if I can see your every movement?" There was a growl and she leapt from the attack. It made cracks in the ground. "Is that all you got? It isn't much" she taunted. The arm came out again and she leapt towards the source. She drew the shinai and prepared to strike. From the corner of her eye, she saw another arm shoot out towards her side. She changed her offense to defense, stopping the claw from digging into her side. But the momentum made her fly towards a tree. She hit it, and fell towards the ground. She got up and winced. That was going to leave a nasty bruise.

"How dare you insult me. I'll have you know that no one can defeat me. I am the last of my clan. I am the strongest. Do not think a girl like you will know how to defeat me." She stood, ready to attack again. She tensed. She heard the claw coming towards her. She jumped to dodge it, but the arm followed her. It wasn't aiming for the ground. She quickly brought the shinai up to protect her but it was too late. Blood spurted from her side, where the claws dug into her. She landed on the ground, gasping. The claws retracted and she heard crazed laughter. She shouldn't be this weak. She used to walk home with countless bruises and cuts without a sweat. But now, she was down with just a scratch. There was a faint rustle. Her attacker hissed. "It seems we have guests. Battousai is here to take you back, no doubt. As much as I would love to stay and kill all of you, the boss wants to be informed of anything that isn't planned accordingly. Until next time, Kamiya Kaoru."

The rustle of leaves indicated his absence. Feeling ashamed, she dug the sword into the ground and used it as leverage to help her up. She started towards where the man had taken off. "Come back here! I'm not done with you!" She stumbled and caught herself on a tree. "Bastard!"

"Kaoru?" she swung her shinai towards the voice. There was a clang of metal against metal. She turned and met amber eyes. Her sword fell out of her hands. For once, she didn't mind the red. She reached for it, to make sure it was real, to make sure _he_ was real. She felt his soft hair, and skin, and rough feel of his cross shaped scar. "Kaoru! You're bleeding!"

She was suddenly aware of everything. The pain in her side. The exhaustion in her body. She reached for him, letting herself fall towards him. He was finally there to comfort her. Her nightmare was over for now. "Kenshin…"

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><p>Sorry this is really short! I just didn't know what else to write and I'm already so behind my schedule. I had been planning to update every other week, but we all see it isn't happening.<p>

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. More will come soon.

Tata for now~


	13. Chapter 13

Happy Reading!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any of the characters in this story. Just in case you didn't know.

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><p>"Kaoru? Kaoru! Kaoru, open your eyes!" Kenshin fell to his knees, clutching Kaoru to his chest.<p>

"Go back to base Himura." Misao was by his side. She reached out to feel Kaoru's forehead but Kenshin grabbed her hand, stopping her. His amber eyes glared at her from behind his bangs. She shivered and pulled her arm back. "Go get Megumi to treat her. She knows best." Then she disappeared. He felt her ki, along with Aoshi's, head in the direction Kaoru had been following.

Glancing down at the girl in his arms, he quickly stood and ran to his car. His speed didn't seem to be enough. Once at the car, he strapped her into the front passenger seat and drove away. His foot didn't ease off the gas until he was back at the base. The trip would have been 2 hours if he was right at speed limit. He made it back in one. Driving to the back, he left his car there, knowing someone will be sent to park it properly. He quickly grabbed the bleeding girl and ran into the infirmary. "Megumi!" he yelled. "Megumi-san!"

She ran out of a room. "Ken-san-" She saw Kaoru in his arms and quickly glanced around. She opened a door and motioned him inside. "Put her on the bed and leave the room."

"I will not leave her" he growled. He settled himself by the wall and watched Megumi take out needles, syringes, and thread. She quickly tore off the offending material and checked the wounds on Kaoru's sides. Kenshin hissed at the welts. They were deep and blood was still pouring from the wound. Megumi found a large bottle of antiseptic and poured some over the cuts.

Kaoru let out a loud gasp of pain. Her back arched and Megumi had to push her back down. Kenshin was growling in the background. "Ken-san, if you cannot control yourself, I will have to get you to leave the room." While she talked, she put the thread through the needle. She took a deep breath and began to stitch the large marks. Kenshin made himself useful by keeping Kaoru down on the bed. She whimpered and his heart began to break. Such a lovely being should not be allowed to feel such pain. She should be shielded from all things evil. Who knows what happened to her at that mansion. Using one hand to hold her down, his other stroked her hair. He whispered comforting nothings in her ear, even though she was unconscious. She calmed enough to let Megumi finish the stitches.

After stitching Kaoru's side, Megumi shoved Kenshin out, much to his dismay. He was locked out. Everyone whispered as they walked past the glaring redhead. His eyes never left the door. As soon as Megumi unlocked the door, he was inside, next to the sleeping Kaoru. She was now swathed in bandages, hiding most of her skin. Her face, however, was left unmarked. He sighed in relief and stroked her cheek. He took her bandaged hand and kissed it. "Welcome back Kaoru." He whispered. Megumi left the room to clear her head.

Not soon after, Hiko burst in the door. "Baka deshi. The least you could have done is make sure the cops wouldn't see you speeding. I had to take care of everything again."

"Gomen, shishou."

"What is the extent of her injuries?" Kenshin was silent. "This is why you are still a baka deshi, baka deshi. Megumi-san!"

Megumi popped her head back into the room as soon as she heard him. "Hai Hiko-san?"

"Her injuries?"

"Nothing physically major. The worst was her right side, three deep lacerations I had to stitch. The rest were just small cuts. Like they were…toying with her" she said in disgust. "She has a small concussion. And it seems they made her ingest poison. I saw no markings of any needles, so they must have put it in her food. What little they did give her anyway."

Hiko nodded. "Fine. Go find Sanosuke. I'll give the both of you the rest of the day off. Baka Deshi and I will stay here and watch her. If anything vital occurs, we'll call you."

She looked nervously towards where Kaoru lay but shrugged. "If she wakes up before I come back, make sure she takes these." She handed over a packet of pills. "My phone will be on." Then she turned and left.

"Did you find out who took her?" Kenshin asked, never taking his eyes off Kaoru.

"Not yet. Aoshi hasn't reported back. Give him another few hours. I'm sure he'll find something at the house."

He nodded. He had to wait for everything. For questions, answers, and deep innocent blue eyes that could see into his soul. He took her hand again and sighed. "Kaoru…"

"I see. So the Battousai showed up for her." There was a feral grin on this man's face. "Show me her picture." The kneeling man obeyed. "Beautiful. We have a new plan of attack now. We will not aim to kill Battousai. He is too strong for us. No, we will kill his heart."

She remembered more of her nightmares now. She hasn't had them since she was held in that dark room, but she still remembered. There were more images now that filled her mind. The blood, the eyes, Gein's mask, tall gates keeping her in, and the pressing darkness. Kaoru woke up screaming.

Amber eyes flashed open as soon as she opened her mouth. He grabbed her hand and turned her face towards him. "Kaoru." He whispered. Her frightened eyes looked his own. "Its okay Kaoru. It was only a nightmare."

Tears sprung into her eyes. His red hair was pulled back so she didn't see too much of it. She focused on his face instead. "Kenshin…"

"I'm here Kaoru. Nothing can harm you while I'm here. I promise." Those were the same words he whispered to her back before she was kidnapped. But the words meant so much more to her now. She didn't realize how much she needed to hear them until he actually said it.

Her other hand reached out for him. He shifted so she could touch his face without reaching too far. "You're really here. Kami, I thought I was hallucinating. What happened? I have so many questions-"

"And you will get no answers until you are completely recovered. Megumi said you have to take these pills."

"But Ken-"

"Take the pills Kaoru." He helped her sit on his lap and lean against his body to stay upright. He handed her the packet of pills and held the glass of water. She looked at the pills.

"What is she giving me?"

"I don't know. She just said to take them."

"It's a lot."

"I know."

She glared at the pills. "They all look the same. I can't tell what's what."

He raised an eyebrow. "You study medicine?"

"No…I…I just don't want to take a certain kind of medicine. I know she put it in here too." She bit her bottom lip.

"Just take it. She knows best."

Kaoru sighed. "Right." She popped several pills in her mouth and gulped the water. She swallowed loudly and moved to stand up.

Kenshin pulled her back down onto his lap. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm fine Kenshin. I don't need you to baby me."

"I want to baby you Kaoru."

"Don't" she warned.

"Don't what? I won't let you out of my sight this time around Kaoru."

"I don't need your attention. I can take care of myself."

"Like you did last time" he snapped. She was silent. Realizing what he said, he immediately regretted it."Kaoru-"

"I don't need your help Kenshin. Now let me go."

"Kaoru I didn't mean-"

"Forget it. I'm tired. Let me get back in bed." He put her back down.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings" he blurted. "I'm just worried. I've been worried. We couldn't find you and-"

"It's okay Kenshin." She turned to look at him. "It's fine. I just don't…I'm not that weak but I did let myself get caught. The whole time I was there, I couldn't even get out. I am the assistant master of a sword style that protects but I couldn't even help _myself_. I couldn't escape and I was so _weak_-"

Kenshin grabbed her and hugged her. "You are not weak. What those people did to you were cruel and sadistic." He stroked her hair. "You are the strongest woman I know. You've survived a month of whatever those monsters did to you. When I saw you walking in that forest, hurt, I thought that it was a miracle. And when you swung that shinai at me, kami, that swing was so strong and I knew that it was no miracle. You fought and you survived. That is what matters; that you are here with me now."

She was silent for a long time. Thinking she fell asleep, he moved to lay her down.

"Thank you Kenshin" she whispered.

He froze. "For what?"

She let out a long breath and slowly looked up to him. His own breath caught as they stared at each other. She blinked sleepy eyes at him, breaking the spell. "For acting like you care." She shifted away from him and lay down, falling asleep immediately.

He stared at her before chuckling softly. "I happen to be really good at acting but that wasn't an act." He brushed hair away from her sleeping face. "Look at what's become of me. I, who was once the most feared man in the underground, is now sitting in a hospital comforting a woman."

"Quite ironic, isn't it?"

"Shishou!" Kenshin turned around and faced his master. "How long were you there?"

"Quiet baka deshi. You might wake her up again."

"Shishou…"

"I've been here the whole time. If you weren't so worried about the girl, you would have noticed me the moment I walked in." The large man smirked. "I think I have myself a lovesick baka deshi."

Kenshin turned red. "Of course not!" He glanced at Kaoru and motioned towards the door. "I'll talk to you outside." Hiko smirked and followed his student out the door. "I am not in love with her."

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"Of course not shishou…"

'Then you know you are a lovesick baka deshi."

"It's not the same thing!" He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm not lovesick! Besides, after _she_ was .. you know… I can't put anyone in that danger anymore."

"I warned you about her baka deshi. You knew I was never wrong yet you didn't heed my warning. This is why you are still my student. You never listen when it counts most." Hiko shook his head. "I'm going home. You take care of the girl. I have no doubt that whoever took her didn't want to give her back yet. They were being careless but they won't make the same mistake the next time around."

Instead of answering, the red head simply headed back into the room. He sat down next to the bed and crossed his arms. He could never love. It was impossible for someone like him.

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><p>I've finally updated~ I hope all of you enjoyed this update. I somehow feel relieved now. Now I'm off to start new stories to entertain my brain so it won't rust away with the summer heat.<p>

And thank you for the reviews!

Until next time~


	14. Chapter 14

_Look And See_

_By **Bri-C123**_

_Chapter 14_

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><p>"Kenshin! I can walk just fine you know!"<p>

"You are still weak from everything you've gone through. You're lucky I'm even letting you go home."

"You have no right to do this!"

"I have every right to do this. If I don't see anything fit for your health, I am to prevent it from happening. Doctor's orders."

Kaoru snarled. "I'm perfectly capable of living my life."

"I'm not denying you that. I just want you to stay in bed for a little bit before you start wandering off and getting yourself in trouble." He unlocks the door and steps inside her apartment, still carrying her. "And I honestly don't mind this." He smirks.

"You hentai! Put me down right now!"

He walks to the couch and lets her go. She lands on the couch with a small yelp. "There, I put you down. Now be good and stay here while I make you some lunch." She glares at him as he chuckles and walks to her kitchen.

She has been back for a few days already but everyone has been coddling her, not letting her do anything by herself. And Kenshin was probably the worst one of them all. He always fed her, carried her, and had to be forced out just so she could use the bathroom in private, although she had a suspicious feeling he only did that to annoy her. He liked to make her frustrated, and always amused himself with her different reactions.

He was out soon with soba noodles and tea on a tray. She didn't even know she owned a tray. He placed the tray on the coffee table and proceeded to help Kaoru sit up. When his fingers touched the chopstick, she quickly smacked his hand. "I told you I can take care of myself. If you feed me I won't eat."

Kenshin seemed to think over her words. He sighed his consent and let her feed herself for the first time in days. Pride seemed to bloom in his chest as he watched her enjoy the food he made. She ate everything without saying anything to him. When she was done, she glanced up at him. Seeing him watch her made her blush. Suddenly she wished he wasn't such a good cook. He smirked and grabbed the plates. "I'll wash the dishes. Don't get off that couch." She grumbled something as he walked out.

When he walked back in, she was already sleeping again. He smiled and carried her to her old bedroom. He softly brushed her hair back and turned to go. He was just about to step out the door when she began to whimper. In a flash, he was by her side.

Before she was taken, he used to take her hand as she slept. She would quiet immediately and after a few minutes, he would leave. However, in the past few days, she had not reacted in any way. Her nightmares would still continue. He could not do anything to help her. Megumi had stressed that she needed as much rest as she could get before the questioning. Kenshin couldn't agree more. But in situations like these, he didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. He couldn't just let her continue her nightmare, but he wanted her to get more rest. He scratched his head and went back out to her kitchen. He searched through the cabinets until he found the prescription bottle for Kaoru.

When Megumi had given it to him, she told him it was not medicine for pain. "You only give this to her whenever she wakes up. I cannot stop the nightmares she has, but I can help her forget it. I…" Megumi seemed to have an inner conflict with herself and sighed a moment later. "I've been her doctor for many years. I've always given her this medication for her nightmares. She's always had them. So please trust me on this Ken-san and give it to her. Even if the naps are very short, I cannot allow her to remember those horrid nightmares." She made Kenshin swear on his honor that he would give the medication to her.

An hour later, Kaoru stumbled out of her room. Tear tracks were left on her face from her nightmare. Kenshin quickly stood and helped her to the kitchen where he had a glass of water and the pills. "You should have just called me when you were awake" he scolded. "I would have gone in to help you out."

"I don't need your help all the time Kenshin. I'm not that fragile." She glanced at the counter and sighed. "Do I have to take the pills?"

"Yes. Megumi assured me it would help you."

She glanced at him. "What did she tell you?" she snapped.

He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing. Only that this medicine will help you recover faster" he lied.

"I…see." She grabbed the glass of water. "I don't really think I need the pills then." She turned to walk away but Kenshin was in the way. He didn't let her walk around him. Instead, he used his arms to trap her to the counter. She leaned back, surprised at the close encounter. He wrapped his arms around her and proceeded to take the medicine out of the container while he held her captive. By the time he pulled back, her face was red from the intimate encounter. "There was no reason for you to do that!" she yelled.

"Of course there was. You were in my way and I had to take the pills out for you. Now take it." He shoved the pills into her hand and gave her the glass of water. She glared at him but downed the medicine anyway. She huffed when she was done.

"Can I go out now?"

"no."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"Fine _mom_." She glared at him some more before going back to her room.

She was suddenly face to face with blazing golden eyes. She stopped breathing for a second, looking into them. "I am not your mom" he growled. This made her blink and narrow her own blue eyes. "I'm trying to make sure you are okay. Can't you just appreciate it?"

"No." she snapped back.

"You are disrespectful."

"So are you" she argued.

"I've done nothing but try to help you."

"I don't need your help."

"You know what? Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine" he growled again.

"Just go away."

His eyes were narrowed even more in anger. He only stared at her for some time before huffing and turning around. "Fine." He said, then he slammed the door to her apartment closed.

Kaoru glared at the direction of her door. She was angry, very angry, but suddenly she felt lonely. Her heart clenched in her chest. _No_, she argued with herself, _this is not the time to get sentimental. _He is an overprotective jerk who forced her to do things she didn't want to do.

But he was also very caring. He sometimes woke her up if her nightmares got really bad. He forced her to take those pills because he knew they would help her somehow. And he made amazing food. He was just trying to take care of her-

_No, Kaoru. You will not help his case._ She sighed and stumbled back to her room and lay down on her bed. _There was no reason to feel lonely now. I've always been alone and this would be no exception._ She sighed. Her laptop was on her desk so she hobbled over there. When she got there, realization hit her. She never left her laptop on her desk. She turned the thing on and watched it fire up. Then she noticed the USB right by her lamp. It looked harmless enough, but she knew there was something wrong.

Quickly, she plugged it in and watched the folder pop up on her screen. She opened it and gasped at its contents. Her hand shook, afraid to look at everything. She breathed in deep and clicked the first file.

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><p>~Sorry, it seems I will be ending this here~ Don't hate me for it, because its what us writers do sometimes. We leave you hanging… wait that sounds mean. Like I would leave you hanging on a date…or leave you hanging on a phone…or….<p>

Never mind that. Ahem. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter~ I've been working on other stories as well so sorry in advance if these chapters seem to come out slow.

**Kokoronagomu**: Its great to hear from you again. I hope everything is going well for you. Kaoru does seem to be in a very dangerous situation, doesn't she? Always finding trouble.

**Kenjustu2Princess**: I actually haven't even noticed it was following the manga! I'm glad you pointed it out to me, or else I would have died completely oblivious. :D

Happy reading! Tata for now~


	15. Chapter 15

**AN**: This took such a long time! Gomen nasai minna-san~

**DISCLAIMER**: Sessha does not own Rurouni Kenshin or Kamiya Kaoru, or anything in the anime or manga.

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><p><em><span>Look And See<span>_

By **Bri-C123**

_Chapter 15_

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><p>The first file was an audio file. She clicked on it, not really knowing what to expect.<p>

"Hello Kaoru Kamiya." The voice was deep and menacing. "Shocked? I know you are. There is a lot I know about you. There is a lot you might not even know about yourself, that I have dug up. But we're not here to talk are we? I hope you enjoy this present I'm giving you. You should know that if you do anything stupid, like try to sue my men, I will personally make your life a living hell with this gift. Trust me, I have power. So be a good girl. And if this gift isn't enough, think of your friends. Wouldn't like anything to happen to them, would you? I know your address and your past, who is to say I don't know theirs? Until next time koneko." The audio clip ended. Kaoru shuddered. This was blackmail in its finest.

She looked at the pictures next. Most of it was from the time she was in the dark room. The first night, she was lying on the bed in only a towel. The next few pictures were of her running outside and being surrounded by the guards. It looked like she was going to get raped or something… She shuddered at the thought. At least nothing like that really happened. She skipped the next few photos. Now she was back in the dark room. She hadn't even noticed a camera in there, but the photos were bright, as if there was a flash every time it was taken. She was on the floor by the bed, hugging her knees. Then she was on the bed, with her eyes open, but lying huddled under the blanket.

Then there were two video clips. The first one disgusted her. She was sitting in the dark room. The guard had brought in the food, dropping the tray with a loud clang. Kaoru had clambered towards the tray as soon as he left. She eagerly stuffed the small amount of food in her mouth, as if she had not eaten in days when in fact, it had only been hours. She looked like a mad woman, with her hair untamed and hands full of food she scarfed down her throat.

After the video ended, she paused. She thought she heard the front door open and close. She listened closely, hoping to catch any sound in the empty apartment. When she heard nothing, she shrugged and chalked it up to her paranoia. She waited a few more seconds, but nothing came through her door to attack her. She relaxed a little bit and clicked on the next video. She was lying in bed. This had been back when she still slept at night. She was tossing and turning for a few seconds before she sat up in bed and screamed. The sound echoed through her speaker and into her room. It made her jump at the sheer terror in that sound.

Suddenly her door slammed open. Kaoru quickly closed her laptop before turning to see the intruder. Kenshin stood at the doorway, scanning her room for any sign of danger. When he found nothing, he looked at her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I…It…It's nothing."

"Kaoru" he warned. "You screamed. What happened?"

"Nothing! Stop bugging me about these things! I'm fine." In her panic, she moved protectively in front of her laptop. His eyes narrowed at the movement.

"What is there?"

"Nothing. Just my laptop."

"What was on that laptop that made you scream?" He only had to look at her face to see that he was right. "Tell me Kaoru." He forgot that he was still mad at her for her unreasonable outburst. He forgot that he was going to tell her he was leaving. He only cared to protect her now. "Kaoru, let me help you."

Kaoru panicked. She didn't know what to do. Would it be wrong to show him the files she found left in her room? Would he be disgusted? Would he tell the authorities? She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let him help her. What if he was the one who got hurt too? It would be all her fault. Everything could be her fault, and all because she was too weak. She clenched her hands and forced herself to talk with a calm voice. "I was watching something online. I wasn't screaming. It was the girl in the video."

Kenshin narrowed his eyes at her obvious lie. He took a step forward but she took a step back. He hip hit the desk and she reached a hand behind her. She unplugged the USB and fisted her hand so he would not get it. He saw the whole thing. He gritted his teeth but promised himself that he would not hurt her in any way. "Kaoru. What is that?"

"Its none of your business." She snapped.

"Kaoru, I only want to help you."

She paused. Help would be much needed right now. And she trusted him to some extent. He had never done anything to prove her wrong. If she could make him swear not to tell anyone, maybe, just maybe, he could-

There was the sound of breaking glass. Kaoru stood frozen as an arrow zipped past her. It lodged itself into the wall as she stared straight ahead. She noticed the hand pushing the paper into the hole that led to her room and watched it flutter to the ground.

Kenshin, however, was not as calm. He had automatically rushed in front of her and crouched in a defensive position. He grabbed the bokken that was by her bed and held it. When nothing else happened, he stood up again and turned to Kaoru. She wasn't looking at him. She was thinking about the note. His hand came up to touch her cheek but she was running around him instead. She dropped to her knees and picked up the note. Her face paled at the words there.

_Don't forget my present Koneko._

No, she couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell anyone. How could she even think she could get away with telling him? Surely, he would tell the police. No, there was nothing she could do. What's done is done.

She felt Kenshin breathing down her neck. She stiffened and crumpled the paper in her hands. He has already read it, no doubt, but she didn't care. He couldn't get the meaning behind it anyway.

He turned Kaoru around and gingerly touched her cheek. When he pulled his fingers back, it was red with blood. Kaoru didn't feel the sting of her cut cheek until then. But it was overpowered by the pain in her heart.

Blood. It was always the blood. Red blood. That was why she hated red. It always reminded her of it. No matter how much medication Megumi gave her, she could never forget. She was scared again. She could not remember anything else about her dreams, not since she took the medicine, but she could remember fear and blood. Nothing could change that.

"Kaoru" Kenshin whispered. She looked so fragile in that moment. He was afraid she would break with just the sound of his voice. "Kaoru. We need to clean that cut." She didn't answer, didn't move. She couldn't even look at him anymore. Not with all that red hair. How had she ever gotten used to it? How had she ever even _liked_ it? "We need to clean the cut Kaoru" he whispered firmly. "Then we'll go to my place. Misao will understand. Its not safe here anymore…"

"Go away." She said.

"Kaoru-"

"GO!" She shrieked. "Get away! I hate this! I hate you! GO! AWAY!" She threw the closest thing at hand, which happened to be her pillow. "I can't look anymore" she said with a broken voice. "It hurts to look at you."

Kenshin didn't know what to say. Did she know his secret? Did her kidnappers tell her his secret? If she knew…she didn't want him to be here. And somehow, it hurt him. He never cared before, but this really hurt him. He stood up and stepped back, unsure of how to approach this situation. Should he explain himself to her? Could he prove to her that he was not that man everyone claimed he was? But his hands were so stained…

"So much blood. There was always so much blood" she murmured.

This froze him. She had to know. There was always so much blood on his hands. All those lives he's taken. He understood that she didn't want him, a blood tainted man, in her home. He bowed his head as he turned to the door. "Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono. I hope you'll forgive me."

She wanted to ask him what he meant. She wanted him to _explain_ what he meant. She wanted him to _explain_ why she was kidnapped and tortured for information on Battousai, when she didn't even _know_ who he was.

But most of all, she wanted him to _stay_. She couldn't stand being alone. It made her think. It made her realize her selfishness, her stupidity. It made her lonely. It reminded her that she had no one else in this cruel world. She could hear the front door close and not another sound. Tears mingled with blood and dripped onto her fist, which still held her 'present'.

She was weak. Unable to protect herself or others. Her father's teachings had done nothing to help her. How could she teach others to protect when she couldn't protect herself? Was there ever a point?

Silence. Not even the sound of rain or thunder. _I'm truly alone_, she thought bitterly. _Not even the tears of heaven will keep me company tonight. Even Kami has abandoned me.  
><em>

That night, it was a night of nightmares. Dreams filled with blood, fear, and something else she will forget once she wakes up and takes her pills. _Memories._

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: So….. It was a bad chapter, wasn't it? I knew it. Gaaaah. I knew I should have concentrated more and just wrote what I was thinking. But noooo, I had to wait until the very last minute, when I basically forgot most of what I've thought of. *sigh* Well, I hope most of you will enjoy this chapter anyway.

**Kokoronagomu**: I feel that the files might have disappointed you for some reason. Lol. I wanted to give them the whole shebang but it doesn't seem to give that feeling… You can be honest and tell me this is true, I wont mind. sadly, no Kenshin wasn't staked out on the rooftop, but he did come back into her apartment.

**Kenjutsu2Princess**: Kenshins does seem too easily pushed away, doesn't he? But remember, he doesn't think he can love her, especially with whatever happened in the past. I'm pretty sure this has become pretty predictable but alas, there are still many surprises to come. Kekeke…

Until next time, Minna-san~~


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER:** As I have stated for all my other chapters and stories, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. This is the sad truth.

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><p><em><span>Look And See<span>_

By **Bri-C123**

_Chapter 16_

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><p>Some days, she could hear her phone ring. Sometimes, there was someone pounding on her door. She didn't care. She ignored it all until it became an annoying buzz in her ear. If they wanted to kick her out, they would have to come in and drag her. She wouldn't complain. She would allow them to do it silently.<p>

She had to be strong. She should have been strong. After all, she had put this unto herself, but she couldn't find the strength in her to walk out the door and live her life. Kaoru knew she was being pathetic. She knew she was being pitiful. It was something she never was before. But with the USB files still held tightly in her fist, she couldn't change back to who she was before.

She had tried to patch that hole in her window. In the end, she ended up taking old cardboard and taping it to her window the block out the wind and rain. Then she closed the blinds, keeping light out. It was almost hard to see, but her eyes were used to it now. Days in that dark room would hone anyone's eye sight in the dark.

She didn't know how many days had passed. She didn't have an appetite anymore. In fact, most of her time was spent in the bathroom, throwing up whatever she had put in her stomach. She settled for drinking her tea instead. Her stomach complained at first, but after the first few meals, it had agreed to stop annoying her. It wasn't like she could cook herself a meal anyway. She didn't have the will to move, except to use the bathroom or make tea. Eventually those needs began to diminish, slowly ceasing, until she didn't have to get out of bed again.

Then there were her pills. She had two bottles on hand. One Megumi had given to her as soon as she had gotten back. The other was from before she was kidnapped. Both bottles sat on her nightstand. She eventually ran out of one bottle, then the other. She took it every time she had a nightmare. It was hard to tell the time of day anyway. Everything was hazy. It felt like she was flying. Like her bed was made of clouds. She wasn't living. She was simply being.

It was like she was being held prisoner again in her own home.

Megumi was fed up. She had tried to call her patient several times, but she always got the answering machine. She stopped leaving messages after the third day. Obviously Kaoru didn't want to be bothered.

However, even Kenshin had stopped talking to her. He had become withdrawn, even towards Sano, his best friend. Misao had mentioned that she had to move into a new place with Aoshi. So he had gone back to live in his own apartment.

That was all she needed to know.

She didn't know whether to blame Kaoru or Kenshin on this one. Kaoru was being stupid. She had probably hurt Kenshin's feelings. She could have heard many things about everyone while she was away. Both the truths and the lies. That didn't mean she had to shut everyone out of her life. She should try to understand the situation. On the other hand, she was severely traumatized. Kenshin should have treated her, whether she wanted him there or not. Kaoru was very delicate right now, and anything might hurt her. She had to be looked after. She also had to be monitored for anything threatening. He wasn't doing his job of taking care of her.

Something had to be done. First Megumi had Sano call Kenshin. The man didn't answer, she hadn't really expected him to, so she took things to the higher authority. "HIKO!" She yelled.

"Damn it woman, don't just barge in like that." The large man was sitting at his desk looking at his files. He was not startled (he had noticed her raging ki) but felt inclined to answer the way he did anyway. He didn't even look up from his papers. "What do you want?"

"Take Kaoru into the company. Then we'll have to tell her what is going on and how best to defend herself."

"Interesting proposition."

"Will you do it?"

"You don't need to know."

Megumi stomped her foot. "Something needs to happen now!" Hiko was silent, finishing his file. "Kaoru is majorly sick! I don't even know how she's doing, and your _son_ is supposed to be there watching her! Instead I find that he has gone back to his apartment and doesn't even go out except on _your_ orders! She could be _dying_, or _hurt_, or _kidnapped_ and _I wouldn't know."_

Hiko finally puts the folder down, closing it. He tinkers with his sword, the naked blade sitting right on the desk. "I've already taken care of it." He says without looking. "Please prepare her. As her doctor, you should know more about her than anyone. Report any precautions we need to take to my baka deshi. That baka should be meeting me in half an hour, so prepare any medical notes you need within that time." He looks up at her. "I have access to things no one else in this company does. I know, Megumi."

Megumi is silent for once. "You can't tell" she whispers. "She can't find out. If anyone were to let it slip…" She closes her eyes, trying to regain her composure. "I will have the files ready." She is about to walk out, but stops at the door. "Don't tell Kenshin. If he finds out, he will be overprotective and that may cause problems if she is to join the company."

"Prepare the appropriate medical files." Megumi nods and disappears out the door. It seems Hiko was once again one step ahead of her. He was a hard man to surprise. She gathered the files from her main office. Her hand hovered over her keys, wondering if she should submit her records on Kaoru. After a moments thought, she grabbed the keys and put them in her bag. There was no need to take them. If Hiko knew, then it was enough.

"Shishou."

"I've added someone new to the team."

"Okay."

"She's going to need a guide."

"Okay."

"She is a very delicate person but has a huge temper when need be."

"Okay."

"She will need to be trained."

"Okay."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Okay."

Hiko sighed. "Baka deshi." Kenshin looked up, his normally cool amber eyes now replaced with haunted gold. "There is a new recruit to the team."

"Okay."

"Kaoru will need to be trained and informed of anything she doesn't know already."

"Oka- Wait. Kaoru?" Hiko was silent, waiting for the ranting the boy would throw. It took a good minute for the boy to get his thoughts together. "Kaoru can't join! After everything she's been through, she won't even talk to us! She won't say what happened, and we don't know what happened! She's an innocent bystander wrongly pulled into our mess! This will only put her into more harm! Isn't this what we are supposed to do? Protect the people who can't do it themselves?"

"She was pulled into this, wrongly I admit, but now that she's in it, she can't get out. There is so much for her to understand before she does something wrong. What if our enemy gets to her before us? That will be your weakness and they know it." Kenshin looked like he was going to say something, but Hiko cut him off. "Megumi will be back with medical records in about 20 minutes. Kaoru will be your charge. You are to pick her up as soon as Megumi is done. Regardless of what she says or does, she is to meet me here, in my office. You may wish to ask Megumi to accompany you."

The office was silent for the next 20 minutes as Hiko looked over more files and Kenshin paced. Both ignored each other. Megumi finally stepped in and handed a folder to Hiko. He glanced through it and gave it to Kenshin. In short, it simply said that she takes medication for sleep, but in all other aspects, she is fine. She has never even had a bad case of the flu. There was nothing left to say. She seemed to be in perfect health.

Megumi had taken the liberty of finding Misao. The short woman was sitting in her car, waiting for Megumi and Kenshin. Megumi sat in the front, knowing Kenshin will want some peace. Both girls were nervous from the silence at the back. Kenshin wasn't even looking at them. The ride felt awkward and not over soon enough.

All three stood at the door. Megumi knocked, them pounded, calling Kaoru's name. There was no answer. That was when Misao took over. Kenshin had put the key on Kaoru's counter before he left. His sign that he wouldn't come back. His jaw tightened at the thought that made him leave.

No one was prepared for what the saw.

There was nothing out of the ordinary. Everything was organized and a layer of dust covered everything. A pot and bowl filled the sink, looking like it hadn't been cleaned for days. The recycle bin was filled with empty cans of soup. A key was still left on the counter.

Had everything been normal, they wouldn't have panicked as they did. However things were not normal. Even if they were normal, they wouldn't have been barging into her home like this. Kenshin couldn't even feel her ki.

They went into a frenzy. Kenshin was fastest, running to her bedroom door with his godlike speed. Misao and Megumi followed behind as fast as they could. The door slammed open and Kenshin called out her name. "Kaoru!" He was expecting nothing, but found something.

He didn't know which was worse. Finding nothing or finding that something.

Misao gasped and fell against the doorframe. Megumi ran to the bed. Kenshin was simply frozen.

The room was too dark. That was the first sign. The blinds were drawn and no other light permeated the room. It was blinding. Only the light they had turned on in the hallway filtered into the room.

The second sign was the floor. It had been littered with glass. It was obvious it was never cleaned up. Bloody footprints were all over the floor, most of it leading to and from the door. All of it was dried, colored like it had been for days.

The last sign was the empty bottles on the nightstand. It was obvious those bottles had been meant to last for weeks. In the short time Kenshin had stayed, he noticed those pills and believed it was the ones meant for her nightmares. He struggled with the idea that this may be his fault. He had left when he shouldn't have. Maybe, if he had stayed, this wouldn't have happened.

There she was on the bed. Megumi had checked her pulse. Kaoru was hardly even breathing. Her ki was so weak, even Kenshin had a hard time finding it. Once Megumi confirmed she was alive, relieved tears poured down her cheeks. "Thank you" she murmured. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Moving Kaoru's face, she pried the strands of hair off her face. She had been crying. The tears had long dried. Blood had never been washed and smothered her cheek with the brown of dried blood. The cut was a deep red. There was nothing else besides the shards of glass in her feet. "You suicidal, idiotic tomboy."

"Will she be alright?" Misao asked. "She isn't…."

"She's fine. I just need to get her back to the clinic. The cut on her cheek is infected and I need to get the glass out before the same happens there. Kenshin, you… Kenshin?"

He was left staring at her. The mark on her cheek would surely fade, with due time. However, it was too similar to his. Was it a sign? What did it mean? Why had she let herself come to such a state? What if she had-

"KENSHIN HIMURA!" He visibly jumped at the sound of his name being called so loudly next to him. He turned to glare at the small woman next to him. She put her hands on her hips "Are you just going to stand there?" she said coldly. "She could die if you continue. Megumi and I can't carry her. You're the only one who can. So get your ass moving or she will be worse by the time back up comes." Kenshin narrowed his eyes but moves towards the bed anyway. He pauses, his hand hovering over her. He hears the door shut, and the room is once again in darkness. Megumi and Misao are heading out the door, his keen hearing picking up on the closing of the front door. He mentally thanked them for this moment of privacy. The trained eyes of an assassin picked up on the bruised sunken flesh under Kaoru's eyes and face. He sat down lightly on her bed and touched his forehead to hers. She was so pale, almost deathly, and so detached from the world. It was almost like she was gone. It was too close for comfort. "Don't go yet" he whispered. "Stay with me a bit longer." His ambers eyes watched her, waiting for beautiful blue orbs to meet his, but they never opened. He closed his eyes in a moment of pain. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry, Kaoru. Please forgive me. I can't stay away from you any longer." He kissed her forehead and lifted her up. He head and limbs dangled, her form splayed out against his. He tucked her into his arms, keeping her close, and feeling her breath.

He didn't even notice the USB that dropped to the bed, too small to find later, until it was too late.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: I feel proud. I started this two days ago and I have finally finished it. I finished the end while watching a wedding proposal video so sorry if you feel the end was more than a bit sappy.

**Kenjustsu2Princess**: I hope this chapter was real enough too. Thank you for reviewing. I don't really know what to say this time around. I'm glad you thought it was real, because it sort of is real. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. XD

**Kokoronagomu**: Its always nice to hear from you Gin~ Everytime I read your reviews, I feel more confident in what I write. Thank you.

So until next time~ Please look out for a possible Halloween story~ I'm really into the holidays (which I must thank my mother for) and I always like writing stories for them. If there is no Halloween one, you can bet there will be a big Thanksgiving special to make up for it! Thank you for all the support!


	17. Chapter 17

_**Look And See**_

**By Bri-C123**

_Chapter 17_

* * *

><p>Beep….Beep….Beep…<p>

_Kaoru you must wake up…_

_No don't go…_

_It's too quiet…_

_Don't touch me!_

_Those eyes…_

_RUN!_

Kaoru's eyes snapped open and her arm instinctively reached for the bottle of pills on her night stand. That is, the bottle that should have been there. But it wasn't there. She wasn't even in her room. Her eyes roamed the dark room. Is this another nightmare? She's never had this nightmare before. But it was too dark to really see. There were small dots of colored lights blinking in an unchanging succession. An annoying beep kept ringing in her ear. Her arm, which had halted in mid air, suddenly felt like lead and she let the weight drop towards the floor. Her eyes closed as she tried to figure out where she was.

"Let me wake up. Let me wake up" she began to murmur. The whispery sound echoed in the still room. She didn't want to know what is going to happen. She just wanted to wake up and take her pills.

She heard a door open somewhere and her eyes squeezed tighter. She began to murmur faster, hoping to get away from any impending doom. "Kaoru?" She would not be tricked. She will not fall for any tricks this time around. She never did, and she never will.

Her whispers continued to echo in her ears.

He had opened the door and heard unintelligible murmurs. "Kaoru?" Her murmurs seem to only increase. He stepped in and closed the door. His hand reached for a light and quickly snapped it on. Her arm was off the bed and her eyes were squeezed closed. He could see her hair matted against her forehead. She was sweating. He reached over and touched her head.

He immediately pulled back. She was burning up! His finger reached the button by the bed and he pressed it. A voice answered the buzz. "Is something the matter?"

"Kaoru is burning up! She keeps saying something but I can't understand! Come here now."

There was immediate silence and he could hear the distant sounds of a person running. The door opened five minutes later. He had put her hand back on the bed. She was starting to twitch now. Her murmurs came louder and faster. Megumi checked her vitals. Kaoru was sweating more profusely now. With each touch, her voice got louder and louder. "Let me wake up; Let me wake up; Let me wake up!" Her whole body was thrashing in the bed. Kenshin had a hard time keeping her down while Megumi tried to finish her check up.

"Kaoru! Kaoru you must open your eyes!" Megumi pleaded. "Wake up!" Kaoru's thrashing did not let up, so Megumi pressed the intercom button. "Get me a sedative now! The patient is convulsing and I can't check her!" She went back to trying to help Kenshin hold her down.

"Don't touch me!" Kenshin and Megumi froze. "No more! I don't know!" A loud cry escaped from Kaoru's mouth. "Let me go! I don't know anything!"

A nurse ran in holding a syringe needle. Megumi quickly snatched it up and gave Kaoru the sedative. She slowly stopped struggling. "I will be strong…." She murmured. Kenshin leaned in to hear her last few words. "I won't give up" she whispered. Everything else was lost in incoherent mumbles.

Kenshin stepped back as Megumi moved in to check everything. Nothing seemed to be wrong. "She's only running a high fever. It's a side effect from the medication…" Her lips twisted into a frown. "She overdosed herself, taking those two bottles and finishing it within two weeks... Her body is probably trying to find more. It's like an alcoholic. She will yearn for it. To have it taken away so suddenly will make her impossible to predict. She might be like this for days or even weeks. I'll have to tell Hiko that she won't be able to start working for at least a month…"

"She will be working within two weeks" a voice interrupted. Hiko's tall form filled the doorway. "She will be healed enough by that time. It doesn't take that long for an addict to tire of looking for their source."

"You don't know that" Megumi snapped.

He simply turned away. "She will be ready."

* * *

><p>How was it? I'm sorry this is so short, especially compared to other chapters I've written. Poor Kaoru… I love her so, but I had to add this bit in. It would be wrong of me not to.<p>

Is it wrong of me to wish I could make a living on this? I suppose not. But still, it makes me depressed that I can't do this as often as I would like.

**Kokoronagomu**: It does feel like I'm dragging them both through a very very dangerous mine field. While I love Kaoru, I fear that future impending doom will befall her. But I didn't say anything. *wink*

**Kinishra22**: Kya~ Thank you for the compliment~

**Tsukihimesama1695**: Why thank you~ Yes, I do plan to add later lemons. So don't give up on me yet! I promise to make this lemon extra steamy if only for you~ XD

**Reignashii**: I hope this fuels your curiosity. I know its short, but I promise more will come in the next chapter!

That is all for now~ I'd like to thank all my followers too. I am grateful for all the support I have with this story and all my other ones as well.


	18. Chapter 18

_Look And See_

_By __**Bri-C123**_

_Chapter 18_

* * *

><p>Once again, Kaoru woke up in an unknown room. It was brighter now. She could tell she was in an infirmary. Why was she here? How had she gotten here?<p>

She turned her head to the side. The first thing that caught her eye was the red. She immediately snapped her head around. This was not something she wanted to see right after she woke up. Was it who she thought it was? She couldn't stand to look at his hair anymore. It was too hard. And just the thought of seeing him again…

The last time they were together ran through her mind once more. She had been irrational. She had been weak. She was always too weak. Why was that? She had trained to be the strongest, but she was too weak to even call out his name. To stop him from leaving her. How could she forgive him for leaving her? How could she forgive herself for letting him go?

"Kaoru?" His hand came up, tucking a few loose strands of hair away. It showed the pain in her face. His hand froze where it was. "Gomen." He pulled back. "I'll go call Megumi." He turned to leave the room.

Her heart wasn't prepared for it. She knew this man had many secrets. It was in the very way he walked. He always scanned the streets as if waiting for an ambush. Her hand shot out on its own to grab his sleeve. "Not yet." She still couldn't look at him, not with his red hair. "Why couldn't you have brown hair? Why red? If only…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "But please don't leave me yet." '_Not again_.' The words hung in the silence around them.

He was still for a long time. "Alright." His voice was void of all emotion.

She hesitated before speaking again. "Could you…tie your hair back?" She slowly let go, as if afraid he would run off. "I need to talk to you."

He didn't know what to say so he tied his hair back into its high ponytail. His eyes roamed over her form, taking in her frail thinness. "I really should get Megumi first. She should be right down the hall."

"No, don't!" A sudden fear raced through her body. "Don't leave me alone!" She had an irrational thought that the nightmare would start as soon as he left. Everything would go dark if he left. She quickly sat up. Her chest heaved at the sudden nausea that passed over her. She closed her eyes and covered her mouth, afraid of throwing up.

"Kaoru!" Hands were on her back, soothing her. "You shouldn't sit up like that!" He gently eased her back down to the bed. "I'll stay, I'll stay. Just don't get up, okay?"

"Y-yes" she gasped. She clutched the fabric at her chest. "Where am I? How long was I here?"

"You're at Megumi's clinic. You've only been here for two days. Honestly, you weren't supposed to wake up yet."

"Two days…" She slowly opened her eyes again. "Kenshin, I…" She struggled to find the words. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you-"

"Kaoru."

"Let me finish-"

"Kaoru. Stop. You don't need to finish. I should be the one apologizing to you right now." He sat in the chair next to her bed. His hands were clasped between his legs. "I shouldn't have… dragged you into my world. I'm sorry for that. I'm also sorry for being a horrible friend to you." Hearing the word friend made her chest hurt more. It reminded her that she shouldn't have been so attached. He only thought of her as a friend and he only stayed with her because Misao took his place. "It's my fault you're here now and…" He sighed. "Why did you take all your pills? You almost killed yourself you know."

"I was keeping the nightmares away."

"Nightmares?"

"…" She didn't feel like answering him. Not anymore. "Who is Battousai?"

Kenshin's head shot up at that question. "You don't know?"

She made an irritated face. "If I did, I would have kicked his ass by now."

"I…" He suddenly realized all the mistakes he made. "Why did you push me away?"

"You?" She furrowed her brow. "Its your hair color" she whispered.

"The color?"

"I hate it." She turned her head away. "I always hated red."

"Why?" She stayed silent. "Kaoru, I want to understand."

"Not now…" Her face was turned away from him. He hated that. He just wanted to see her. He wanted to see those eyes of hers. Eyes that were always haunting him, even as they stayed closed before him.

"Kaoru, will you look at me?"

"No."

"Kaoru please." When she didn't move, he stood and sat on the bed. He reached out to turn her face and felt the hot tears. "Kaoru, why are you crying?"

"Please Kenshin" she whimpered. He pulled her up into a hug, ignoring her fists as they pounded his chest. "Just leave me alone! I just want to forget, is that so bad? I wanted to forget…" She cried into his chest as he cradled her and struggled with the notion that he had gotten the wrong idea. She never knew he was Battousai. She was never blaming him for anything, never hating him. What would she do when she finds out?

It wasn't long before Kaoru fell asleep. Her body was still trying to recover and her emotional outburst made her situation even worse. Keshin gently tucked her back into the bed and went out to get Megumi. The good doctor listened to him explain his conversation as they walked back to the room. Megumi sighed as she checked over Kaoru once more. "At this rate, I suppose Hiko will be right about Kaoru being healthy in two weeks." She ignored the glare Kenshin threw at her. "You will be the one explaining everything right? Just remember to not hide anything from her. That is what got her into trouble in the first place. She is too nosy for her own good. But once she's in, she's in. You won't be able to get her to back out." She glanced at the handsome red-head. "It's the same with her love life as well. She never went out with anyone because she felt that they weren't worth going all out for. She never opens up to anyone, even when she's drunk. But with you, she explained some things. Stay with her. Listen to her and explain everything to her. That is the best thing you can do for her."

Kenshin could tell where this was going. Megumi was telling him exactly what to do, and at the same time, trying to match-make them together. It would have been funny on any other occasion, but this was serious. Kaoru was still very delicate. Things would be hard for her to take in. It would be better to break things to her slowly, not in less than two weeks. But it seems Megumi wasn't going to deny Kaoru that. A part of Kenshin didn't want Kaoru to know. He wanted to selfishly keep her in the dark, but he knew this would be the right thing to do. He really did like Kaoru in a way he didn't like others before, so it would only be right to start things off with the truth.

Besides, Hiko did have a point. If Kaoru was kept in the dark, others might make her get the wrong impression. Then he would lose her. His hand absently came up to caress her cheek. He knew all too well, how easy it is to lose someone.

* * *

><p>Well, well, well. I must say, I hoped I had this up sooner, but I suppose I'm not the greatest person when it comes to arranging schedules. I apologize deeply for this.<p>

**Reignashii**- I think I've just handed you some more bait :D Thank you for reading, and sticking with this story~ I know I'm too slow

**Kinishra**- Well, its well past Christmas and I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this.

Please continue supporting me~ I'm thankful for all of you, because honestly I didn't think anyone would read my story. Hahaha. Thank you, thank you.


	19. Chapter 19

_Look And See_

By **Bri-C123**

_Chapter 19_

* * *

><p>There were whispers. The sound of voices filled her head, even if she couldn't understand the words being said. It was a long time before she finally managed to sort words into sentences.<p>

"…About time."

"Masterrr." A groan.

"Baka deshi, have I ever been wrong before?"

"… You are no worse than the others I suppose."

"I expect a lot from this girl."

"You've made that very clear. But do you really think that working as Battousai's accomplice will keep her safe?"

Battousai? His… accomplice.

"Battousai is her safest defense. Just don't spoil her and you will be fine."

Spoil? Defense? Everything seemed to jumble together again. She tried to form coherent thoughts and piece together the conversation she was hearing. Her head turned, as she struggled to move and wake. A warm calloused hand stroked her cheek. "Kaoru? Are you awake?" She was struggling to fight the drugs, struggling to fight the pull of sleep. She wanted to ask questions and get answers. She wanted to understand the conversation she overheard. But was like drowning, fighting water that was slipping through her fingers.

* * *

><p>Kenshin heard the turning of Kaoru's head and immediately flitted to her side. She looked like she was in pain. He put his hand on her cheek in an attempt to sooth her.<p>

"Kaoru? Are you awake?" She didn't answer. Was she having another nightmare? "Kaoru?" She was beginning to sweat, as if suddenly too hot under the covers. He pulled off the sheets and quickly began feeling her face. He cursed and dabbed at her face with the discarded sheets.

"Ken…shin." He froze. "Ken…shin" she moaned again.

He held her hand. "Kaoru? Can you hear me?"

"Kenshin…" She struggled to wake up, her eyelids fluttering open then closed. Her hand squeezed his in a tight grip. He cupped her cheek with his other hand.

"Kaoru, you can rest some more if you want. I'll be here."

She took a deep breath before dispelling it quickly, saying "no." Her eyes fluttered open again. Her eyes were dark and didn't seem focused yet. "I'm not… invalid." He gave an exasperated sigh. Of course she would be fighting his care. She was always a fighter, ever since he first met her. She glared at him as her eyes finally managed to focus on him.

"You know Battousai" she accused. He froze and she took that as confirmation. "What is this I hear about being an accomplice? Surely you must be kidding." She was obviously feeling better. She started to sit up as she continued. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Kaoru, perhaps now isn't the time." He pushed her back down.

"Now is the perfect time. What is going on?" There was silence as Kenshin tried to find the words to tell her.

"The baka deshi is a fool." She shifted and saw the huge man she remembered as Hiko. Her eyes narrowed. Kenshin turned to glare at his master with blazing amber eyes, but the large man didn't even flinch. "This boy" he gestured to Kenshin, "is Battousai." Kenshin quickly moved to hit his master but the attempted failed. "The fool simply didn't know how to say it."

Kaour was silent as Hiko left the room. Kenshin was torn between chasing his master or staying with Kaoru. He closed his eyes and sighed. His careful steps back to her bed echoed in the room. He sat while she stared at the wall opposite him. The silence was unnerving. "Kaoru…"

"Why didn't you tell me?" she interrupted. "Was it so bad for me to know? I don't even know what you do. I wouldn't have hurt you."

Her voice left him feeling guilty. "It's not that."

"Then what is it? Why was it so bad for me to know?"

"I just didn't want to drag you in. This life isn't something simple to understand. You need to know that this is a dangerous lifestyle. I never would have stayed if I had known…"

"So why did you stay? You could have gone back to your place. You could have kicked Misao out. You could have stayed away. But you didn't. Why? Was it pity?" She continued without letting him answer. "I never needed pity. I only needed me and that was enough."

There was a moment of silence and Kenshin absorbed the information. He quietly observed her. Her face was still facing the wall. He sighed and sat on the bed next to her. "Kaoru, you misunderstand. I… didn't mean to stay. You were just so… different. Before I knew it, you were a friend I never thought I would have. In this world I live in, the risks are always so high. I was going to stay for only a day or two. But you made me change my mind. I wanted to protect you. That is my job. To protect people like you with the blood I spill."

"You kill people?"

He mentally cursed himself. This isn't how he wanted to conversation to continue. "I do." They say honesty is the best policy. Hopefully they were right. Kaoru is sensitive when it comes to the truth. It would be best not to feed her anymore lies.

She took a quick glance at him before turning away again. "Why are you telling me this now? What good will it do?"

"Because, Kaoru, I plan on making things right. I will be your protection. That is why you will be my accomplice. I will need you to help me with things like alibis or clean-ups."

"So you want me to commit crimes too."

"No Kaoru. I simply want you near me at all times. This can help me cover my tracks, but my main priority is not to leave you alone. Those bastards that took you before might try to come back." He said the last sentence with venom in his voice. "But they will not take you again." Karou tensed at the thought of being kidnapped again. Kenshin noticed, but continued talking, lowering the malice in his voice. "I will not let you be hurt again."

She was silent, but he sat patiently waiting for her answer. She finally glanced at him, her clear blue eyes determined, even as they tried not to focus on his hair. "I'm stronger than you think, you know?" The edges of his lips twitched as he fought a smile.

"I'm well aware."

"Good, then you know when I finally get out of this place, your ass is the first one that's going to get kicked. By me."

He grinned. "I would expect nothing less."

* * *

><p><em>I was hoping to have this up yesterday, but I suppose now is better than never XD<em>

_I'm listening to sad songs while writing this __ but I guess it should be alright, I'm almost done anyway._

**Reignashii-** I hope this makes you feel better. He finally told her (after who knows how long) Its about time!

**Kinishra22**- Thank you for your kind words~ I will definitely finish the story so please don't give up on me~

**nma5marumsn . com**- Thank you for deciding to read this story~ I'm glad I got your attention and that you like this.

_Well, I'm going to start updating my other stories too, so please, don't give up on me! Thank you for all your support~_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Look And See**_

By **Bri-C123**

_Chapter 20_

* * *

><p>It has already been a week. Kaoru's infection had gone away. All her cuts had already started healing. She stopped reaching for pills when she woke up. It seemed that everything was going to be alright again.<p>

But Kenshin was still there. He was always there, sitting next to the bed. He never seemed to sleep. His eyes were always on her. As soon as her eyes opened, she would find her hand taken into his and questions on what she needed would run into her ear.

It had felt nice at first. She felt needed and taken care of. But then it had gotten annoying. She couldn't find a reason for him to leave.

"Um…. Kenshin…"

"Yes?"

"I… need to go to the bathroom."

"Okay." He opened the door the restroom and came back to her bed. His hands reached under her and she found herself picked up. He set her onto her feet in the bathroom and turned his back.

"Why are you still here?"

"What if you fall? I'm here to make sure you're okay."

She got irritated. "At least go outside. Don't make this a repeat of last time."

When he turned to glare at her, she knew that bringing up the past was a bad idea. "Last time I left you alone, you nearly killed yourself."

"Look" she said exasperated, "I'm in a clinic. Its not like I can do much. All I'm asking is that I use the freaking toilet alone."

He glared some more and stepped out the door like she said. She sighed and moved to close and lock the door. Only to find the lock had been taped so that she couldn't even turn it. Her fingers twitched in irritation but let it go. She knew that bringing up the past had been her fault and perhaps this would help her learn not to do it again.

* * *

><p>"Kenshin?"<p>

"Hmm?"

"Can you go get me some food?"

"What do you want?"

She bit her lip, thinking of the farthest place from this clinic. "Can you get me spaghetti from that Italian place at BCBC street?"

"Just spaghetti?"

"And garlic bread?"

"You know you shouldn't really be eating that stuff?"

"But…" she tried her best to put on a puppy face like Misao did to get her way. "But… I miss eating it…"

Kenshin stared at her face awhile before his lips twitched, a sign that he was holding back a smile. "Alright. You'll get your food." He then proceeded to take out his cellphone and dialed a number. "Misao? It's Kenshin… Yea, Kaoru wants spaghetti…. I know you aren't a delivery service… It's for Kaoru…. I'll pay you back…. Thanks." He hung up. "Alright, she'll be here in half an hour."

Kaoru mentally slapped herself as she plastered a smile on her face and said thank you.

* * *

><p>Perhaps the direct approach was better…<p>

"Hey Keshin?"

"Yes Kaoru?"

"Don't you feel bored?"

His lips twitched. "Why would I feel bored?"

"You're stuck in here with me all the time."

"You entertain me enough."

She blushed. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. I sleep all day and I can't even leave this damn room."

"You are more honest in your sleep."

"What?!" She felt dread take place deep in her bones. "I… Are you saying I talk in my sleep?!"

He didn't bother to hide his smirk now. "Maybe."

"But… I don't talk in my sleep!"

"Are you sure?"

"Kenshin!" She felt embarrassment color her cheeks a darker shade of red. "What did I say? I don't think I meant it!"

He burst out into laughter. "Kaoru…. Why are you so nervous?" He laughed some more. "I was joking."

"KENSHIN HIMURA!" She moved to punch him. "How dare you make fun of a sick person?!"

He quite easily caught her fist. "This is what I mean by you entertain me enough."

She huffed and lay down on the bed. "I hope I bore you to death in my sleep."

He chuckled. Damn Red-head.

* * *

><p>"Kenshin-"<p>

"Baka Deshi."

Both inhabitants turned to find a tall man fill the doorway. Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "Shishou."

"Have you really been in here the whole time? Are you trying to suffocate the girl?" Kenshin rose to argue but his teacher quickly cut in again. "Anyway, I need you to investigate something on the northeastern part of town. Aoshi will fill in the details. I'll watch her here."

"But why can't-"

"Time is of the essence."

The grumbling red head stood from his seat. "I'll be back as soon as possible Kaoru. Don't let this irritating man bother you." He stalked out the door and as soon as it closed behind him, Kaoru let out a huge breath.

"Thank you Hiko-san."

"For what?" he said. He sat down in the seat Kenshin just vacated. "I have a business to run. He can't always sit here and babysit you."

She smiled. She saw right through this act, but didn't comment on it anymore. "Do you have anything to tell me?"

"Why would I?"

"There has to be something, or else you would send Misao or Megumi to watch me. I hardly see you as a man who wants to be stuck in a clinic room watching over a recovering employee."

He didn't comment on her words. "Kenshin will be distracted for a while so if you have any questions you may ask me now."

"Why is Kenshin Battousai?"

"Straight to the point. Good. He'll need that. He wanted a reason to live. I gave it to him. He fights to protect the people of this city from underground works."

"Why am I his accomplice?"

"He already answered that."

"But that's what he thinks is going on. Why am I really here?"

"It's for your own good. And it's to keep the baka deshi calm. He can't do anything right when his mind is on something else. Protecting you will keep his mind on the goal and not worry about leaving you alone." Kaoru frowned but didn't comment. This was basically the same answer Kenshin had given her.

"What do you know that I don't?"

At this the man smirked. "That's for me to know."

"Okay." She bit her lip. "How much of me do you know about?"

"More than you do, I'm sure."

"Will you tell me?"

"No."

She sighed, but she knew that this would be his answer. Perhaps Megumi made him swear to it. Megumi is scary when she wants to be. "What am I going to be doing? Kenshin doesn't have all the answers, or at least not the truest answers. He only knows what you want him to know."

"You have become quite perceptive."

"Well?"

"You will find out when he comes back. I'm sure you can figure it out with your new found perceptiveness."

She was silent a moment. "Will I have to kill people, like Kenshin does?" Her question was whispered, as if she was scared of the answer.

"No. Not unless a situation calls for it. But ultimately, it will be your decision."

"Hiko-san." She paused, trying to find the right words. "Are you psychic?"

The silence seemed to permeate the room. Hiko looked like he was trying hard not to laugh. She could see it in the way his shoulders stiffened. He didn't say anything and she stared at him as he controlled himself.

"Okay okay" she sighed. "I know the answer to that." She yawned. "I guess I'll make your job easy. I'm going to sleep so if Kenshin comes back, you can talk to him." She wasn't really satisfied with the answers, but she didn't really ask all her questions. She felt the pull of unconsciousness and easily gave in. She would find her answers one day, when he was willing to give it to her. There was simply no other way. "Arigatou for being more honest today, Hiko-san." Sleep didn't really let her wait for an answer, not that she was expecting one.

Long after her breathing deepened and her ki settle, Hiko moved to tuck the blanket in around her. He had known she was hiding her last question. She already knew so much about his character. Perhaps from stories the baka deshi told. A small part of Hiko wished he could tell the complete truth, but he also knew it wasn't the right time. "Goodnight Kuramiko."

* * *

><p>I have finally made it into the 20th chapter! Yay! Just so you know, I was feeling really motivated today and wrote all this in one day!<p>

Okay, perhaps this isn't something to be really really proud of, but I'm really really proud anyway. After quite a long time of having writer's block, I'm finally able to do something right. :)

I must say thank you to everyone who has read this story, and followed it to this point. Things are about to get more interesting so I hope that none of you have given up on me yet.

**Reignashii**: well, if I answered all your questions, my story would be given away, wouldn't it? Hahaha. But thank you for being a continued supporter. I appreciate all your reviews.

**KrisyStory**: I couldn't help but hop around in joy when I saw your reviews. I was so happy someone new decided to read my story. And that you would review the first five chapters! I was ecstatic. Thank you. I hope that you will continue to support this story.

Of course, I must say thank you to all my followers.

Arigatou gozaimasu Minna-san!


	21. Chapter 21

Look And See  
>By <strong>Bri-C123<strong>  
><em>Chapter 21<em>

* * *

><p>As Kenshin walked up the man leaning against the wall, he found himself kind of jealous. This man knew where he stood with the woman in his life. Where as he…. He was a protector? A friend? He wasn't sure anymore. It had become much more complicated than that, but he wasn't sure he wanted to test anything and find out. They were comfortable with each other at the moment, and jeopardizing that with the people that kidnapped her still on the loose would cause problems.<p>

He sighed as he too leaned against the wall. The two men stood in silence for a while before the taller of the two leaned over. "I found the house she was kept in."

This immediately caught Kenshin's attention. This was an opportunity to find out more about Kaoru's captors. He straightened from his slouched position and pushed all thoughts away. "Where?" He soon found himself in front of a rather large mansion. His eyes narrowed as he searched for any ki that stood out on this seemingly well- kept property. There was an air of abandonees around. There was no sign of any life. Here it was only Kenshin and Aoshi. The two crept around and soon found that there was really no life left on this property. Whoever was here before left without a trace.

The two found it safe to enter the house. They stepped carefully, looking for any traps that might have been hidden. Instead there was nothing. It was just silence. They kept aware of their surroundings but moved faster around the house. There was nothing. Not even bits of leftover food, or garbage in the garbage cans. It was like a house kept just for the looks. But the cleanliness only proved that there was someone here. Kenshin sighed.

"I would safely assume they probably erased any prints, if they left any at all."

Aoshi said nothing, his expression didn't twitch in the slightest. That was enough for Kenshin. He sighed again and the two continued to walk about the mansion. They stopped a rather tall closed door. The edges were sealed with a dark substance, as if trying to keep everything out. Kenshin narrowed his eyes and reached for the door. Aoshi's long arm reached out and stopped him. Kenshin froze as Aoshi pulled on his gloves.

Kenshin stared questioningly at Aoshi. The tall man ignored him and pulled the door open. The odor that reached them made them both flinch. It smelled like mold, and dirt. The only light in the room came from outside the door. Aoshi squinted into the darkness, trying to find a light switch, but there was nothing. They both stepped carefully into the room. Even with the light from the hallway, it was hard to see within the dark room. Aoshi scanned the room, to the best of his ability, and found another door. He opened it, and found a light switch on the wall to the right. The light in there was blinding, so bright that he had to turn it off. A light that bright would only cause horrible disorientation. He turned back towards the room and switch he light on again. He glanced behind him and squinted to make out that the other room was a bathroom. There was a bathtub, a toilet, and a sink, but that was it. There was no trace of anything in there, the same as the rest of the house. Empty. Aoshi stepped into the dark room again. With the light from the bathroom, the whole room seemed to be illuminated. It was filthy. The floor had patches of dirt here and there. Kenshin immediately spotted the towel that seemed to have been thrown to the corner of the room. It was filthy, probably from the accumulated dirt in the room. The bed had sheets that were rumpled, and the walls had some scratches with blood on it. There was no reason for that to really surprise the men, but Kenshin felt an immediate sense of anger.

He wanted to rip someone apart. The anger made his eyes burn amber. This was the room Kaoru was held in. He stood in silent tension. There was no way he would be able to move. Aoshi took one look and decided that it was time to start searching for anything in this room. There seemed to be nothing but dirt on the floor. He went over to the towel, picking it up and producing a zip lock bag from one of his pockets. He dropped it inside, and moved to the bed. There seemed to be nothing there. The only indication that it was ever used was the sheets that were tossed aside. The bed was much cleaner than the floor, as if someone had just changed it that morning and took a nap. He could not find anything on the bed, so he went to the bathroom again. He squinted through the light and looked around quickly. There wasn't much in the bathroom either. Just a used bar of soap, and a tiny bottle of shampoo. He spotted some blood stains by the toilet bowl, fingerprints imbedded in the wall with it. He took note of that and exited the bathroom again.

"If you're done there, Himura?" The man turned around and stormed out of the room, intent on finding who it was that took her. They were going to be dead men. Hell hath no fury like an angry assassin.

* * *

><p>"Kuramiko… Kuramiko…" Whispered voices kept calling that name. It was so familiar. Was it her name? "Kuramiko, you must hide…" A man's voice. "Kuramiko, you will be safe in the dark…" A woman's voice. "Kuramiko… Kuramiko…" A blend of voices. Too many to count. They all kept calling for Kuramiko. Who was she? Was she me? Am I her? Who are these people calling for her?<p>

Red…. Red walls…. Grey Eyes…

Kaoru's eyes opened wide as she sat up, gasping for breath. They were after her, weren't they? They were after her parents. What did they do wrong? What did they want? The basement. She had to go to the basement. It was safe. Dark, but safe. "I have to go…" she mumbled, still half asleep. The room was dark, but she wasn't safe. Not yet.

She blindly searched for the door, finally grabbing the handle and pulling it open. She was blinded for a moment, the bright light was a large contrast to the dark room. She stumbled out, into a hallway. There was nothing for her here. It wasn't dark, like her basement. She couldn't hear anything, but there was something stopping her. She couldn't move. Why couldn't she move? She tried to shove the obstacles away, but they were still there. She couldn't move. She couldn't go to the basement. She could almost hear her mother's voice. "Kuramiko…"

Megumi had stepped out of her office for the first time that day. She was tired and all she wanted was to go sleep, but she had a job to do, and she couldn't just laze around all day. She met up with Hiko, who was just coming back from a lunch meeting. They spoke a few words as the two of them walked to Kaoru's room. Before either of them reached for the door, it flew open itself. Shocked, they watched as Kaoru stumbled out. Hiko caught her mid fall. She weakly tried to push his arms away, but he didn't budge. Confused, they took her back to the room, turning on the light. She didn't really resist. Her pushes were weak, and her eyes glazed. "Kuramiko…"

At the whispered name, both of them looked at each other alarmed. "Kaoru" Megumi whispered. "Kaoru…"

"Kuramiko" the girl whispered again. "Momma says to go to the basement… I have to go to the basement… Kuramiko…." Megumi opened a drawer near the bed and pulled out a bottle of pills. Hiko helps her hold the girl as they push the pills into her mouth and force her to down it with some water. The girl relaxes and falls back into a calm unconsciousness.

"They're starting to resurface again" Megumi says. "I might need to prescribe a stronger dose…"

"No. Leave her. She'll have to find out later."

"But Hiko-"

"Megumi. You can't hide that past from her forever. The time will come when she has to remember." Megumi is silent, for once. She doesn't know what to do anymore. Kaoru is slowly regaining memories. It's hard to control that. The protective part of her doesn't want anything else to come up, but it soon the medicine will cease to work. The doctor simply check's Kaoru's vitals and leaves the room.

Hiko sits next to the bed again as the doctor leaves. "Almost there Kuramiko," he says. "Almost there."

* * *

><p><em>It certainly has been a while. I kept putting this off, for God knows why. But here. I hope this chapter was okay.<em>

_**Kokoronagomu: **__I'm sorry to hear that! The chemical overload must be absolutely terrible. How are you feeling? And regarding Kaoru, you are absolutely right. Kenshin will definitely flip when they both finally find out everything that's going on._

_**WeepingRain: **__Kaoru can't remember anything because of the pills. They are a sleeping pill, and they also repress her memories. I'm not exactly sure if this is a real thing, if so I would love to get my hands on it, but it goes well with my plot, I think. And thank you for reviewing! I know this story is so slow, in every way possible, but it's nice to see that some people still like my story._


	22. Chapter 22

Look and See

**Bri-C123**

_Chapter 22_

* * *

><p>Her eyes open and she finds herself back in a hospital. Her blue eyes blink and she turns. There is no one there. Confused, she sits up. Usually Kenshin is around. It seems he wasn't here today. For some reason, it made her feel lonely. He was always there to make sure that everything was doing well. And although she acted like she was annoyed, she couldn't help but feel cared for. He made her feel precious.<p>

He was, is, Battousai.

She didn't know if she should feel more shocked. Somehow, it had been obvious that he was something more than anything she could think of. He was dangerous. But even so, she couldn't feel scared of him. She felt … calm. The shock had only lasted for a minute. After that, there wasn't much she could say about it. What's done is done and she couldn't change the past. If she could, she would only change the haunted look in his eyes.

Kaoru wasn't sure how many days had passed. Time seemed to pass by so fast whenever she was in this room. Megumi could keep her in here for hours or days at a time. She sat up and took note of her clothes lying folded on a chair. Does this mean she is ready to leave?

She stands and starts changing, forcing her creaking joints to move. She could finally take that hospital gown off and be comfortable. The jeans slid on, seemingly more loose than usual. They stayed low on her hips, but she shrugged and took the gown off. She reached for her bra and slipped that on too. As soon as her fingers touched her shirt, the door flew open.

Again, it seemed to be shock that overcame her, rather than fear or anything else.

He had been in and out of Kaoru's room all day. He would just check on her before leaving to talk on the phone with Aoshi or Hiko. He was supposed to watch Kaoru, as she was now his accomplice. He already knew she was more than that to him. Just the matter of paperwork and then investigating the house she was imprisoned in. They had to put lights in the room. There wasn't much to work on from there, but they tried to pull as much as they could.

There was nothing pointing to any sign of life that had been in the house besides the paid guards. Even they didn't know much. They saw each other, and that was about it. This seemed to be a lead going straight to a dead end, and it frustrated him. He opened the door to Kaoru's room again and found her in the middle of dressing.

His eyes immediately scanned her form, taking in the frail thinness of her body. She had lost a lot of weight. Her jeans no longer fit her perfectly, and he could see the bones of her hips. He then promised himself that he would bring her back to a healthy weight.

It took a moment of silence for them to truly realize the situation they were in. The realization only seemed to make Kaoru mad. It didn't take her long to find something to throw at him. But he, as Battousai, managed to dodge and walk out, slamming the door behind him.

Kaoru was definitely angry. Angry that he just came marching in without knocking. Who did he think he was? But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a little flattered. He didn't seem to hate the way her body looked at all. In fact, he seemed to almost entranced as he looked.

She'll just have to blame the blush on her face on anger.

* * *

><p>Minna-san! Here is my next update! I'm sorry that this took so long, and that this is so short. I have a little bit of writer's block. You know, the time when you feel like you know what you want to happen, but then you don't know all the details? Yeah, that's me right now. I know all the events I want to happen, but I don't know how to put all the details in there. The small things that make everything come together and make sense.<p>

I'll try harder though.

Well, it's time for many thanks to many people for supporting me! All the people who follow and favorite this story, arigatou gozaimasu!

**Kokoronagomu**: As always, thank you for all your support. I hope all is going well for you. The name will be explained in later chapters. I do have a reason for everything, so I hope that you will continue reading.

**Reignashii**: Thank you! I hope this chapter was also to your liking. I needed a little fluffiness to counteract all the angst that was going on lately.

**Asianselephantsandtea**: Thank you so much for reading this! I'm glad that it caught your attention. I hope you look forward to more!


	23. Chapter 23

Look and See

**By Bri-C123**

_Chapter 23_

* * *

><p>Kenshin was spoiling her. More than that, he was pampering her, making sure she would not be let out of his sight. Kaoru was living with him now. Ever since she was discharged, they had not gone near her apartment at all. A part of her was glad. There were memories there. Memories she did not want.<p>

Still, there was something missing. Kaoru had this feeling that there was something she needed to get in there. She couldn't think of what it was. At the moment, she didn't want to remember.

"There is someplace you have to go."

Kaoru turned from her spot on his couch. His back was turned as he washed the dishes from their lunch. She clearly saw his hair and turned with a frustrated look on her face. She still could not face his hair color. She couldn't even face him if his hair was not tied back. She leaned against the couch. "Where?"

He was silent a moment. "It's for an assignment."

"Oh." The two of them hadn't really done anything since she got discharged. She couldn't figure out what he was thinking, as usual. "Okay. When do we leave?"

"They wanted us to go a few days ago."

"What?! Why are we still here then?"

"I … didn't want to go."

"Kenshin" she calls, exasperated. "This is your job. You can't run. And since it's apparently my job now too, you are just pushing our responsibilities away. If you are just trying to baby me, well, I'm not going to have it. You know I'm a strong independent woman."

The sound of the water turned off and she was aware of him standing behind the couch. She sighs . He doesn't react for a moment, but then chuckles. "Of course you are. You are simply amazing."

Her eyes fly open in shock, but he is already heading towards his room. "Wh-wha-"

"I'll start packing your things. We leave in the morning."

* * *

><p>They sat in his car for some time before he finally got out. She wasn't sure she wanted to. There was a sense of dread in her gut, she couldn't move on her own. Her fists stayed on her lap. Kenshin opened the door for her and kneeled to her level. "…Kaoru."<p>

"I'm coming." She takes a shuddering breath. "I just…." Her heart is beating unevenly in her chest.

"It's okay, take your time."

He kneels patiently as she pushes away the heavy feeling in her chest. It wasn't even dark out, but she felt so uneasy. She had the insane urge to hold onto Kenshin tightly. She steps out of the car, feeling really stiff and tense. She closes her eyes and opens them in determination. "Alright, let's go."

He feels quite proud that she is able to brave through her emotions, through the pain he can so plainly see in her eyes. He grabs onto her elbow. "Stay close to me." He begins leading her through the large expanse of trees and dirt. She is lost in the green.

Soon, too soon, she can see the top of a house. Her heart drops to her feet and she stops walking. The phantom pains make her tense once more. "K-Kenshin…"

"I'm here Kaoru."

Kaoru. Kaoru Kamiya. She takes a deep breath. "Don't go too far…"

"I'll be right by your side."

With that reassurance, she walks forward again. He keeps pace with her, not wanting to push her. She has to even out her breathing as she steps forward. There is a part of her that wants to slow down, but she pushes forward. She is not weak.

They reach familiar gates. Kaoru blinks as she remembers everything that happened on the grounds outside. She sucks in a breath and takes a step back.

Kenshin is there immediately, taking her arm. She closes her eyes and just /feels/ him near her. His presence calms her a little. He's here this time. He's with her this time. Biting her lip, she continues to the house with a little more determination.

The first place she goes is the room where she was interrogated. This was one of the two places she spent the most time in, at least that's what it seemed like to her. The door was already open, so she just stood by the door. She kind of smiled at the memories from there.

"I remember this place" she says softly. "They questioned me a lot in here." She snorts. "I punched a guard in the face once. I was sent back to my room, but it was good to see the damn smirk off his face." She turned away from the room and heads up the stairs again. Right off the stairs, at the far corner of the mansion, she found the room where she was held by Gein. She sucked in a breath.

Phantom pains started again. She can feel every sting, and every sharp cut. She stumbles one step back, right into Kenshin. He holds her steady as he calls her name.

"Kaoru?"

It was all in the past. These were just memories. Just like the eyes, and red walls. It was all just memories.

"Gein. He held me here."

She can hear and feel Kenshin take a breath, but she doesn't stop. She has to tell him what happened, that's why she's here. No matter how much the memories hurt, she had to tell him.

"I don't know how he did it, but somehow he used thread. Fishing line. Something like that. I can't remember much about it, only that it hurt every time he used it against me." She hugs herself. "He couldn't get anything out of me either." She is unsure for a second, but she finds her resolve and steps into the now empty room. "There was a bed in here. That was it. A bed for me to sleep in…" She turns to the bathroom, where she had contemplated escape. "There wasn't much in here either. Just whatever I would need to clean myself, but I suppose it was better than the other room…" She wasn't sure if she was ready to go back to the other room, but she would have to help Kenshin in any way she can. She can't forget why they are here, after all. This was her job now.

They walk down the hall, to a room that was now brightly lit. Someone had obviously been here to set up lights in the room. There were large spotlights pointing in the room, illuminating everything. Kenshin watched Kaoru carefully as she paused, trying to find the courage to look in.

"We can stop here for today" he suggested. She looked at him with a wry smile.

"If that were true, then we wouldn't have driven here so early in the morning just to inspect two rooms. I'm fine Kenshin. Just… give me a moment."

He stands close to her, and it sort of helps. Knowing he was there to help her… She couldn't be more grateful. She hated to admit it, but he would be her anchor the current time, rather than her memories. A part of her needed to get past this. Perhaps she needed to get past everything that had happened in her apartment too.

"Would you…" She bites her lip, hating that she sounded like a child. Her request would make her so childish. What if he hated her for that? What if he realized how young she really is? Or how weak she could be? She hated being weak.

"Kaoru?" He comes closer and gently, purposely, brushes her fist with his hand. "It's okay." She relaxes a bit, her shoulders dropping from the tense height. "I'm here. I'll protect you."

She lets out a breath and relaxes all the way. She turns to glare at him quickly. "I can protect myself, Kenshin."

Then she steps into the room.

* * *

><p>Minna-san! Sumimasen. I have taken a long time, yet again, to update this story. I'm trying my best, I really am. And once again, thank you for the reviews.<p>

**Hitokori Midnight:** Here is an update! I'm so sorry this took so long.

**Kokoronagomu**: Ah yes, fattening her up seems to be a common theme amongst many fanfictions I have read and I think it kind of stuck at me. It was funny reading his secretive tactics.  
>How is your family? I hope all is well.<p> 


	24. Chapter 24

Look and See

By **Bri-C123**

_Chapter 24_

* * *

><p>The only difference in this room was the light. Her mind interchanges scenes from her memories and from the hard drive she watched. It was all a jumble in her head. The light helped them see, but to her, it kept her sane. She saw everything she needed to see already. It was all in her mind.<p>

Her shoulders had become tense again. Kenshin watches helplessly as she seems to almost shrink into herself. He's surprised she hasn't turned around to run away yet. His fingers brush her fist, reminding her once again that he is there.

She starts her story, her voice trembling. "I woke up here that first night. It was too dark to see and I had only my towel. They fed me as soon as I woke up. It was weird." She let a wary smile creep onto her face. "I figured my own cooking must have poisoned me enough that I would be immune to anything else. So I ate. It was good food but… as soon as I ate, I already felt like throwing up." She frowned. "A guard came in to take the tray, so I hit him over the head and tried to escape. I should have known something was wrong when I found the front door unlocked. I had no chance. The gates were locked and they had so many guards." She choked. "So they took me back here. I couldn't tell how long I was in here. It was hard to tell when I woke up or when I fell asleep." She squeezes her eyes shut. "I'm not sure when it started, but my nightmares came back and I couldn't sleep anymore and I just _lost_ it." She replays the images and videos from the usb. "I was so _weak_-"

Kenshin cuts her off by holding her close. She doesn't reject the contact. She didn't want to cry, but the memories are still in her head. She buries her face into his shoulder, unable to face the room or his hair color. His calloused hand come up and hesitates only a moment before dropping onto her head. He awkwardly pats, trying to comfort her.

Her own arms come around to hug him back. She needed the contact, the comfort. He was her solid reminder that she was safe now. "I'm sorry" she mutters into his shirt. "I don't want to be like this. I'm _strong_. I try to be. I've trained but I still wasn't enough." She squeezes hard before she releases the tension, but doesn't step away. "There is something you might need to see. I just… I'm not usually like that. I just need you to understand. Please, don't think I'm weak…"

He lets out a sigh. "Haven't I told you before? You are the strongest woman I know." He presses his cheek against her head. "I will never think less of you Kaoru."

With those words, Kaoru drops her arms and steps back. "Then you need to take me back." She almost wishes she didn't have to go, but she knows this is something he can only see to understand. "I need you to take me back to my apartment. There is something there you must see. I can't explain what happened here, but you can see…" She takes his hand and they walk out of the room together, never once looking back.

* * *

><p>Here we have it, minna-san. It's certainly been a while, and I apologize for taking so long. It's already been two months. But here is an update. Finals are coming soon, and I'm transferring schools. Hopefully I'm making the right decision…<p>

**Reignashii**: Hopefully this chapter meets up to your standards! I've been slacking in my writing style lately, so I hope I didn't make too many mistakes.

**Kokoronagomu**: Ahh the age of toddlers. I wish you luck. They're only bound to get harder to handle as they grow, but I'm sure you can handle them.

Well, thank you for the reviews and follows and I hope you can patiently await my next installment!


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